Article 143 [Mutual Assistance]

Articles 143 and 144 TFEU contain the safeguard clauses which can be invoked to adopt balance of payments measures. A country’s balance of payments is the difference between all money flowing into the country and money flowing out of the country in a particular period (usually as receipts and payments by natural and legal persons for goods and services). Since 1 January 1999, which marks the beginning of the third stage of EMU, the safeguard clause to remedy crises in the balance of payments is only applicable to those MS outside the euro area.