欧盟领导人星期五在布鲁塞尔签署协议，要求各成员国政府平衡预算，否则将面临经济制裁。
这份协议是欧洲领导人为遏制欧洲长达两年的债务危机蔓延所作出的最新反应。欧洲债务危机导致希腊两次、爱尔兰和葡萄牙各一次被迫接受国际援助以避免政府破产。欧盟27个成员国中的25个签署了这份协议，英国和捷克共和国拒绝签字。
目前，这份协议要想生效必须得到欧元区17国中至少12个国家的批准。
欧盟委员会主席范龙佩表示，这份在过去几个月拟定的协议将有助于防止再次发生债务危机。他说，协议将帮助欧元区“恢复信心”，同时加速经济增长和创造就业。
德国总理默克尔说，协议对创造一个更团结的欧洲来说是一个重要的里程碑。默克尔领导了实行更严格预算管制措施的努力。
European Union leaders signed a treaty in Brussels Friday to require their individual governments to balance their budgets or face economic sanctions if they do not.
The treaty is the latest response by Europe's leaders to contain the continent's two-year debt crisis that twice has forced Greece, and Ireland and Portugal once apiece, to secure international bailouts to keep from going bankrupt. It was signed by 25 of the 27 EU countries, with Britain and the Czech Republic declining.
Now, for it to take effect, it must be ratified by at least 12 of the 17 countries that use the common euro currency.
EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the treaty, drafted over the last several months, will help prevent another debt crisis. He said it would lead to a "restoration of confidence" in the eurozone, while boosting economic growth and job creation.