A、It has about 3,000 authorized stores in Europe. B、Its branding rents are as high as market rates. C、It charges overpriced rent

(5)Three Italian consumer groups have accused McDonald’s of burdening authorized stores with excessive rents, high royalties and restrictive contracts.
    The groups, which are backed by the Service Employees International Union, have filed the antitrust complaint with the European Commission and asked the regulator to open a formal investigation. McDonald’s abuse of its dominant market position hurts everyone: authorized store owners, consumers, and workers. McDonald’s has roughly 6,000 authorized restaurants in Europe that pay to use the company’s branding.
    According to the consumer groups’ arguments, McDonald’s charges the rents that are up to 10 times higher than market rates. These rents account for 66% of all revenue collected from authorized stores in Europe, the groups claimed.
    A European Commission spokesperson said the group had received the complaint, and will now examine it.
    McDonald’s, meanwhile, defended its business model, saying it (6)"has helped create the best business opportunities for our authorized stores and the best overall experience for our customers."
    The allegations are not the only problem McDonald’s faces on the continent. In December, the European Commission announced (7)it was investigating McDonald’s for failing to pay some taxes in both Luxembourg and the U.S. McDonald’s shifted profits around to avoid paying all the taxes on the royalties it collects from authorized restaurants in Europe and Russia.
5. What do we learn about McDonald’s from the news report?
6. What did McDonald say to defend its business model?
7. Why was McDonald’s investigated in Europe?