[snovv_crash]

Ireland agreed to the Treaty of Rome, in which they agreed to not provide state aid to corporations. The EU commission's ruling is that the effective tax rate of ~0% amounts to state aid via a tax break. In order to reverse the state aid, Apple needs to pay Ireland the money that it was illegally allowed to keep. That is why it is Apple's responsibility to pay back the money, because that is the only way to ensure that the incentive of this tax-favouritism is removed.

[easytiger]

> Ireland agreed to the Treaty of Rome, in which they agreed to not provide state aid to corporations.

Ireland do not agree they provided any such exemption. Do you have evidence of a specific Exemption for apple?

[snovv_crash]

"Save as otherwise provided in this Treaty, any aid granted by a Member State or through State resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods shall, in so far as it affects trade between Member States, be incompatible with the common market."[1]

1. http://www.hri.org/docs/Rome57/Part3Title05.html#Pt3TitVCha1...

[easytiger]

Again, please provide evidence that a specific deal was done for this specific company, or even group of companies. I have looked and cannot find any such thing.