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EU: No lobbying in Brussels for Apple

By  |  September 26, 2016

Apple Inc. is battling the European Commission’s call to fork over $14.5 billion in back taxes without the army of lobbyists and public relations campaigners typical in such fights.

The iPhone maker spent less than €900,000 in 2015 to lobby the EU institutions and doesn’t employ any full-time lobbyists here; merely five part-time workers, according to public filings. In contrast, Alphabet Inc.’s Google spent at least €4.25 million last year and employs more than 10 people.

Other U.S. technology companies, including Alphabet, Amazon.com Inc. and QualcommInc., also are trying to convince the EC that their tax regimens or pricing policies aren’t breaching its rules.

The EU recently surpassed the U.S. in terms of the number of registered organizations lobbying its institutions, according to Transparency International. As of Sept. 7, the EU registered 9,756 organizations, compared with 9,726 in the U.S.

Full Content: The Wall Street Journal

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Trump-Backed FTC Initiative Targets Regulatory Barriers to Market Entry Trump-Backed FTC Initiative Targets Regulatory Barriers to Market Entry

Trump-Backed FTC Initiative Targets Regulatory Barriers to Market Entry

By  |  April 15, 2025

In a move to address concerns over regulatory barriers that may hinder economic growth, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated a public inquiry aimed at assessing how federal regulations influence competition in the U.S. economy. This effort follows President Trump’s Executive Order on Reducing Anticompetitive Regulatory Barriers, which directs federal agencies to root out rules that may limit market entry or stifle innovation.

According to a statement from the FTC, the agency is seeking to identify federal regulations that unfairly protect dominant companies, prevent new players from entering the market, or otherwise disrupt fair competition. The inquiry will be part of a broader push by the Trump-Vance administration to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles and invigorate the private sector.

Per the Executive Order, the FTC will play a central role in advancing the administration’s economic agenda, which emphasizes the removal or reform of outdated rules that may favor entrenched interests. The Commission noted that certain regulations may be deterring entrepreneurship and innovation, ultimately hampering the broader economy.

Read more: Democratic FTC Commissioners Sue Trump Administration Over Dismissal

“Regulations that reduce competition, entrepreneurship, and innovation can hamper the American economy,” said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. “These need to be eliminated or modified to revitalize a competitive market.”

As part of the inquiry, the FTC has issued a Request for Information (RFI), inviting feedback from a broad range of stakeholders, including consumers, workers, start-ups, investors, and academics. According to a statement from the agency, the goal is to better understand which regulations may be inadvertently or deliberately creating competitive disadvantages.

Public comments can be submitted through Regulations.gov and must be received no later than May 27, 2025. All submissions will be made publicly available on the site. The FTC emphasized that this initiative is a step toward fostering a more dynamic and inclusive economic environment by reducing artificial barriers to competition.

Source: FTC