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The Belgian "fiscal incentive" scheme - which had been in force since 2005 - allowed companies to reduce the tax bill on their profits by as much as 90pc, said the Commission. The ruling is the first high-profile sweep of European, rather than US companies, and comes after the EU ruled against similar tax deals for Starbucks and Fiat in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Brussels has also launched an investigation into McDonald's tax arrangements and is due to deliver verdicts on Apple and Amazon's deals with Ireland and Luxembourg this year.  Around €500m of the €700m will be paid by companies within the EU, said the Commission. Belgium" - afforded international corporates an unfair advantage by only taxing the "hypothetical" profits they they would have made if they did not enjoy economies of scale. "National tax authorities cannot give any company, however large, however powerful, an unfair competitive advantage compared to others," said Ms. Vestager. "If a country gives certain multinationals illegal tax benefits that allow them to avoid paying taxes on the majority of their actual profits, it seriously harms fair competition in the EU, ultimately at the expense of EU citizens."  The Belgian government said it had expected the ruling and had suspended the excess profits scheme in February last year.