The sovereign debt crisis has exposed fundamental weaknesses in the economic governance framework of the European Union, and in the euro area in particular. Important aspects that have been highlighted in the debate on fiscal governance are the limited enforcement of EU fiscal rules by the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, and insufficient national ownership to implement EU fiscal rules. Recent governance reforms have sought to remedy these problems, in particular by strengthening the enforcement mechanism of rules and increasing minimum requirements for national budgetary frameworks so as to ensure consistency and alignment with the reinforced EU governance framework, and, ultimately, to ensure the sustainability of public finances.