Apple tax: European commissioner defends €13bn ruling

Vestager says special tax treatment for a specific company is as much a benefit as handing the firm a bundle of cash and amounts to illegal state aid

Europe's competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, has defended her a13bn (11bn) ruling against Apple's Irish tax affairs, hitting back at claims made by a predecessor that EU state aid laws should not be used to fight sweetheart tax deals.

Vestager made clear the rationale for the Apple ruling following comments by Neelie Kroes, who said on Thursday that EU member states have a sovereign right to determine their own tax laws. Kroes served as competition commissioner between 2004 and 2010.