For at være holdbar skal forbedringen af en medlemsstats budgetstilling hovedsagelig være et resultat af budgettilpasningsforanstaltninger (og således være af strukturel karakter) og ikke blot være et resultat af en forbedring af konjunkturbestemte for hold.
To be sustainable, the improvement in Member States' budgetar}' positions should result mainly from budgetary adjustment measures and should thus be of a structural nature instead of resulting predominantly from the recovery in cyclical conditions.