Judgment_paragraph 104 · Paul Vervloet and Others v Ministerraad (C-76/15)

104Secondly, when aid granted by a Member State strengthens the position of an undertaking compared with other undertakings competing in trade between Member States, that undertaking must be regarded as affected by that aid (see, inter alia, judgments of 10 January 2006, Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and Others, C‑222/04, EU:C:2006:8, paragraph 141, and of 8 May 2013, Libert and Others, C‑197/11 and C‑203/11, EU:C:2013:288, paragraph 77). In that regard, it is not necessary that the beneficiary undertaking itself be involved in trade between Member States. Where a Member State grants aid to an undertaking, internal activity may be maintained or increased as a result, so that the opportunities for undertakings established in other Member States to penetrate the market in that Member State are thereby reduced (judgment of 8 May 2013, Libert and Others, C‑197/11 and C‑203/11, EU:C:2013:288, paragraph 78 and the case-law cited).