Sixty prominent academics have called on the Irish EU presidency to withdraw from any tax-related legislative matters, citing its questionable history in safeguarding EU digital rights and fiscal resources, in a statement issued on Wednesday (8 July).

The group of senior university professors and lecturers highlighted in a letter the close ties between successive Irish administrations and major technology firms along with other large corporations.

October saw Niamh Sweeney, previously a lobbyist for Meta, appointed as commissioner to the Irish Data Protection Commission, positioning her among Europe's influential data regulators.

Ireland maintains a 12.5 percent corporate tax rate, among the lowest in the bloc, structured to draw in major technology companies and others seeking to lower their tax obligations. This approach has led firms such as Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, OpenAI, TikTok, and X to establish their EU bases in Ireland for tax reasons.

Consequently, Ireland's data protection commission serves as a key authority for the entire EU.

Amazon and the Chinese fast-fashion company Temu have similarly located their operations in Ireland for tax purposes.

The European Court of Justice determined in 2024 that Apple owes 13 billion euros in back taxes, ruling its favorable arrangement with the Irish government unlawful. This decision ended a ten-year dispute and labeled Dublin's tax agreement with Apple as unlawful state support.

The EU Commission originally imposed the 13 billion euro obligation in 2016, prompting repeated appeals from the Irish government.

The letter stated that Ireland's dependence on large non-EU companies creates insurmountable conflicts of interest, as shown by its performance in data oversight and taxation.

The Tax Omnibus, introduced by the EU Commission in February, ranks among the key items expected to feature prominently during the Irish presidency. The Digital Omnibus is another priority. Both initiatives were framed by the European Commission as measures to ease administrative burdens for businesses throughout the bloc.

The letter recommended that Lithuania, scheduled to assume the EU presidency in January, should oversee negotiations on tax and digital matters.

In a recent plenary discussion in Strasbourg, Irish prime minister Micheal Martin noted that every member state hosts numerous technology firms and affirmed that Ireland would act as an impartial mediator on these topics.

A spokesperson for the Irish presidency emphasized that it is fulfilling its duties with full neutrality, focusing on building consensus among member states and progressing the Council's legislative work. The focus remains on advancing the One Europe, One Market roadmap, including its digital goals.

Among the signatories are noted scholars including Shoshana Zuboff from Harvard University, Mariana Mazzucato of University College London, Isabella Weber at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Jason Hickel from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Abeba Birhane of Trinity College Dublin, and Alberto Alemanno from HEC Paris.