Dreptul european al concurenţei vizează activităţile intreprinderilor. Deşi tratatul nu defineşte noţiunea de intreprindere, Curtea de Justiţie a Uniunii Europene s-a pronunţat in mod repetat, in sensul că trebuie să fie calificată drept intreprindere orice entitate in care exercită o activitate economică, independent de forma sa juridică şi de modul său de finanţare. Reprezintă o activitate economică orice activitate care constă in a oferi bunuri sau servicii pe o anumită piaţă. Potrivit jurisprudenţei Curţii, nu prezintă un caracter economic, care să justifice aplicarea normelor privind concurenţa din tratat, activităţile legate de exercitare a prerogativelor de autoritate publică.

European competition law refers to the activities of undertakings. Although the Treaty does not define the concept of an undertaking, the European Court of Justice has consistently held that any entity engaged in an economic activity, irrespective of its legal form and the way in which it is financed, must be categorised as an undertaking. Any activity consisting in offering goods or services on a given market is an economic activity. According to the case law of the Court of Justice, activities which fall within the exercise of public powers are not of an economic nature justifying the application of the Treaty rules of competition.