D. whereas, by the end of 2002, only four Member States in the euro zone – together accounting for a mere 18% of euro-zone GDP – and five euro-area Member States in 2004 had reached a close-to-balance position; whereas, conversely, the number of Member States in the euro area with a budget deficit above 3% of GDP rose from three to four; whereas, since the advent of the Stability and Growth Pact, 12 Member States have breached its rules or those of the Treaty, including five in the euro area - Portugal, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Greece -, and the United Kingdom, to which the excessive deficit procedure does not apply but which is nevertheless bound by the requirement laid down in Article 116(4) of the Treaty "to endeavour to avoid excessive government deficits" as long as it is in the second stage; whereas the excessive deficit procedure was also launched against the six new Member States exceeding the 3% threshold: Hungary, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Malta, Poland and Slovakia,
D. tā kā 2002. gada beigās tikai četras eirozonas dalībvalstis, kuru kopējais IKP ir vien 18% no eirozonas valstu IKP, un 2004. gadā piecas dalībvalstis bija sasniegušas tādu budžeta stāvokli, kurš bija tuvs bezdeficīta budžetam; tā kā, gluži pretēji, eirozonas dalībvalstu skaits, kurās budžeta deficīts ir virs 3% no IKP, palielinājās no trīs līdz četrām; tā kā kopš Stabilitātes un izaugsmes pakta īstenošanas sākuma tā noteikumus vai Līguma noteikumus ir pārkāpušas 12 dalībvalstis, tostarp piecas eirozonas valstis — Portugāle, Vācija, Francija, Nīderlande un Grieķija — un Apvienotā Karaliste, kurai nepiemēro pārmērīga budžeta deficīta procedūru, bet kurai tomēr ir jāievēro Līguma 116. panta 4. daļā noteiktā prasība otrajā posmā censties izvairīties no pārmērīga valsts budžeta deficīta; tā kā pārmērīga budžeta deficīta procedūru uzsāka vēl pret sešām dalībvalstīm — Ungāriju, Čehiju, Kipru, Maltu, Poliju un Slovākiju, kuru budžeta deficīts pārsniedza 3% slieksni;