But even where the European Commission had the legislative tools and political mandate to impose sanctions – for example, to punish non-compliance with the Stability and Growth Pact – member states managed to avoid punishment by “reforming” the requirements. Indeed, Germany and France spearheaded the effort to make the Stability and Growth Pact more “flexible” when they could no longer comply with its 3%-of-GDP fiscal-deficit ceiling.
但即便欧盟委员会掌握了实施制裁的相关法律工具和政治授权——比如用《稳定与增长公约》的相关条文来制裁不服从者——各成员国依然可以用“改革”相关规定的方式来逃避制裁。在这方面德法两国可算始作俑者，当年它们发现自己无法满足《公约》中关于财政赤字不能超过GDP3%的要求，于是便想办法让《公约》变得更“灵活”一点。