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CNBC likes to use quotes for emphasis. It's supposed to emphasize that the EU court believes the tax treatment from Ireland to be illegal.

The EU isn't applying any penalty here, this is owed taxes that apple were not billed by the Irish tax authorities.

Once you enter the EU, you forfeit part of your sovereignty. That's what Ireland failed to do here. There is no slippery slope. This is the very foundation of the union.

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Is that what you'd call "scare quotes"?

I don't think so. scare quotes would usually imply some sort of ironic detachment or sarcasm. In this case I really would call it emphasis. They're using it as I'd normally use italics or a word I'd follow by a citation. To signify that this is important and that the word is important for the meaning of the article.

I do disagree with that typographic choice, but looking at their other articles I think they're consistent in that usage.

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