Combining financial assistance with strict conditions has brought the negative economic trends in the programme countries to a halt. The economic downturn in some of the most strongly affected countries may even have bottomed out in the near future. What is crucial now is to ensure that the programme countries do not stray from the path of essential fiscal, financial and structural adjustment.
The second step undertaken was the strengthening of the framework for steering economic policy at the European level. It is aimed at preventing dangerous imbalances in both public budgets and current accounts more effectively in future.