Later on, the Stability and Growth Pact added a requirement that, over the medium term, government accounts should be "close to balance." Essentially, this aimed to prevent irresponsible budgetary policies after the euro's launch, while leaving sufficient room for cyclical oscillations of the deficit within the 3% limit.
稍后的《稳定和增长协议》又追加了一项规定：即从中期来看，政府帐户应达到"基本平衡"。这项规定旨在欧元启用后，从本质上防止不负责任的预算政策，同时给赤字的周期性变动留出了足够的空间：上下波动的幅度不超过3%。