SAN FRANCISCO, June 26 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) on

Thursday changed rules and fees in its App Store in the European

Union after the bloc's antitrust regulators ordered it to remove

commercial barriers to sending customers outside the store.

Apple ( AAPL ) said developers will pay a 20% processing fee for

purchases made via the App Store, though the fees could go as

low as 13% for Apple's ( AAPL ) small-business program.

Developers who send customers outside the App Store for

payment will pay a minimum fee of 5% and at most 15%. Developers

will also be able to use as many links as they wish to send

users to outside forms of payment.

The changes are aimed at trying to help Apple ( AAPL ) avoid a 500

million euro ($570 million) fine threatened by EU antitrust

regulators in April.

"The European Commission is requiring Apple ( AAPL ) to make a series of

additional changes to the App Store. We disagree with this

outcome and plan to appeal," Apple ( AAPL ) said in a statement.