ESM
European Stability Mechanism
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The European Stability Mechanism is an intergovernmental organisation established by member states of the euro area in 2012. Its mission is to enable the countries of the euro area to avoid and overcome financial crises and to maintain long-term financial stability and prosperity.
The ESM carries out this mission by providing loans and other types of financial assistance to member states that are experiencing or are threatened by severe financial distress. In other words, the ESM acts as a “lender of last resort” for euro area countries when they are unable to refinance their government debt in financial markets at sustainable rates. The ESM is the successor to the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), a temporary institution created in 2010.