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The objective of the budgetary strategy outlined in the 2014 Stability Programme is to correct the excessive deficit by 2015 and reach the medium-term objective in 2017. The Stability Programme confirms the previous medium-term objective of a balanced budget in structural terms, which is more stringent than what the Stability and Growth Pact requires. The Stability Programme plans to bring the deficit to 3 % of GDP in 2015, above the target set in the Council recommendation of 21 June 2013. Thereafter, the planned (recalculated) annual progress towards the medium-term objective is lower than the minimum requirement of 0,5 % of GDP. Overall, the budgetary strategy outlined in the Stability Programme is only partly in line with the requirements of the Stability and Growth Pact. The Stability Programme projects that the government debt will peak at 95,6 % of GDP in 2014 and 2015 and then drop to 91,9 % in 2017. The macroeconomic scenario underpinning the budgetary projections in the Stability Programme is plausible for 2014 and slightly optimistic for 2015, with GDP projected to grow by 1,0 % and 1,7 % this year and next respectively, against 1,0 % and 1,5 % according to the Commission services 2014 spring forecast. In April 2014, the independent High Council for Public Finances (‘Haut Conseil des finances publiques’) issued an opinion on the macroeconomic scenario of the Stability Programme. The Stability Programme outlines a number of additional measures for 2014, among which the cancellation of ministerial appropriations to be adopted as part of a supplementary budget and the first effects of the EUR 50 billion savings plan announced by the Government. On this basis, and also taking into account the fact that the fiscal effort achieved in 2013 was higher than expected at the time of the Commission recommendation, the Stability Programme can be considered to broadly respond to the Commission recommendation. The level of detail of the fiscal consolidation measures is insufficient to credibly ensure the correction of the excessive deficit situation by 2015, as supported by the Commission forecast of a deficit at 3,4 % of GDP next year and an underlying structural adjustment falling well short of the level recommended by the Council. Moreover, risks to the government's targets are tilted to the downside. In particular, part of the additional measures for 2014 announced in the Stability Programme remains to be adopted and the planned amount of savings for 2015 is very ambitious. Based on the Commission forecast, the fiscal effort over 2013-2014 falls short by 0,2 percentage points of GDP in terms of (corrected) change in the structural balance and by at least 0,1 percentage points of GDP in terms of the amount of measures estimated as necessary at the time of the Council recommendation. Based on its assessment of the Stability Programme and the Commission forecast, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1466/97, the Council is of the opinion that the measures underpinning the budgetary strategy need to be specified further and that further efforts are needed to comply with the Council recommendation and to ensure an appropriate path towards the medium-term objective thereafter. In particular, additional efforts should be spelled out in the forthcoming amending budget law for 2014.