The ESM Pandemic Crisis Support

Briefing 28-08-2020

This paper provides a summary analysis of the European Stability Mechanism Pandemic Crisis Support instrument agreed by the Eurogroup. This instrument allows the ESM to provide financial assistance (either as loans or by purchasing sovereign bonds) to euro area Member States, to be used for recovering costs related to direct and indirect healthcare, cure and prevention due to the COVID- 19 crisis. The paper focuses on the main feature of the instrument, including its eligibility, the financial and the surveillance aspects.