No. The Commission have called off the lawyers over Ireland not having collected the money from Apple - because supposedly it took them a year to set up the escrow account.
The appeal agains the Competition Commissioner's ruling on the tax advantage Apple were given is a separate case, also to be hard in the ECJ, and that's still ongoing. If Ireland win, then their tax agreement was fine, and Apple get paid back. If Ireland lose, then their tax arrangement was anti-competitive and they are "forced" to keep the money. At which point they could give every Irish Citizen a couple of thousand Euro and have a massive nationwide party! Or could decide to hold the Olympics - that should about cover building the venues and all the bribes to the IOC. Or host a World Cup perhaps? Anyone for a giant gold statue of an iPhone in the centre of Dublin?
I suppose they could even spend it sensibly...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
