BRUSSELS, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The General Court of the European Union (EU) on Wednesday rescinded an EU order which had required U.S. technology giant Apple to repay Ireland 13 billion euros (14.9 billion U.S. dollars) in tax arrears.

The decision effectively canceled an August 2016 European Commission decision. The EU court ruled that the Commission had wrongly declared that Apple Sales International (ASI) and Apple Operations Europe (AOE), which were companies incorporated in Ireland but not tax resident in Ireland, had been granted a selective economic advantage and, by extension, state aid.

The clear-cut decision by the EU General Court could now face another appeal at the top European Court of Justice.

In its initial reaction, the European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager said on Wednesday that Brussels was studying the judgment and would reflect on the next steps.