This paper provides an overview of the 2017 Stability and Convergence Programmes (SCPs). It takes a glance at budgetary developments in 2016 and sets out the fiscal plans over 2017-2020, both at the country level and the euro area and EU as a whole. It also presents an analysis of the recent and prospective fiscal stance in the euro area. […] Public debt has peaked in 2014 at around 94% of GDP in euro area (88% in the EU) and is projected to fall steadily over the programme horizon to reach around 83% of GDP in the euro area (78% in the EU) in 2020. The main drivers for the debt reduction going forward are primary surpluses supported by a favourable snowball effect. On the medium-term, sustainability risks (up to 2031) remain elevated in a number of Member States. Medium-term debt projections show that if the fiscal plans in the SCPs were fully implemented, additional fiscal consolidation measures totalling around ½ percentage point of GDP would be needed over the next five years to bring the debt-to-GDP ratio to 60% by 2031. However, in a number of Member States the needed consolidation measures are more significant.