Brussels ratcheted up the global crackdown on tax avoidance by multinational companies on Wednesday by launching an investigation into whether three EU states were offering improper tax breaks to companies including Apple and Starbucks.

欧盟委员会(European Commission)加大了对跨国公司避税的全球打击力度，周三就3个欧盟国家是否向苹果(Apple)、星巴克(Starbucks)等公司提供不适当的税收优惠展开调查。

The European Commission said that an in-depth probe would consider the tax affairs of three companies: Apple in Ireland, Starbucks in the Netherlands and Fiat Finance and Trade, the financial arm of the Fiat group, in Luxembourg.

欧盟委员会表示，将对苹果在爱尔兰，星巴克在荷兰，以及菲亚特集团(Fiat)旗下金融部门——菲亚特金融及贸易有限公司(Fiat Finance and Trade)在卢森堡的税务进行深入调查。

Joaquín Almunia, the EU’s competition commissioner, stressed that the investigation was just a first step and the net could be cast more widely in the pursuit of “aggressive” tax avoidance.

欧盟委员会竞争事务专员华金•阿尔穆尼亚(Joaquin Almunia)强调此次调查仅是第一步，这张网可能会继续拉大，追查那些“打擦边球”避税的公司。

“In the current context of tight public budgets, it is particularly important that large multinationals pay their fair share of taxes,” he said.

他说：“在当前公共预算紧张的背景下，大型跨国公司缴纳合理税收尤为重要。”

The commission is scrutinising the companies’ “transfer pricing” arrangements, which determine how their taxable profits are allocated between countries.

欧盟委员会正在严查这几家公司的“转移定价”安排，这种安排确定它们的应税利润如何在各国之间分配。