Abstract
There is no getting around a reform of the European Stability and Growth Pact. However, there is no reform model under discussion that can be expected to enforce compliance with public budget discipline more effectively than before. With this in mind, this paper argues in favour of shifting the competence to impose sanctions in the event of non-compliant behaviour from the community level to the intergovernmental level. This would increase the credibility of the sanction threat. The shift would not mean abandoning the previously introduced fiscal rules.