Subject matter and scope
Article 1
1. This Regulation lays down provisions for strengthening the economic and budgetary surveillance of Member States whose currency is the euro, where those Member States: (a) experience or are threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability or to the sustainability of their public finances, leading to potential adverse spill-over effects on other Member States in the euro area; or (b) request or receive financial assistance from one or several other Member States or third countries, the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM), the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), or another relevant international financial institution such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 2. This Regulation also lays down provisions for enhanced economic policy coordination. 3. This Regulation shall apply to Member States whose currency is the euro. 4. In applying this Regulation, the Council, the Commission and the Member States shall fully observe Article 152 TFEU. In applying this Regulation and the recommendations adopted hereunder, the Council, the Commission and the Member States shall take into account national rules and practice and Article 28 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Accordingly, the application of this Regulation and of those recommendations does not affect the right to negotiate, conclude and enforce collective agreements or to take collective action in accordance with national law.