Reducing unemployment, strengthening the euro area's growth prospects and ensuring the future resilience of the European economy require better tailored fiscal tools at euro area level. Today, the limits of the EU's fiscal framework mean that the euro area has had to rely excessively on the monetary policy of the European Central Bank (ECB) to ensure macroeconomic stability. As these monetary policy tools are increasingly stretched, calls for a more balanced policy mix that includes more supportive fiscal policies have been voiced by the EU - including by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his 2016 State of the Union 'Letter of Intent' and by ECB President Mario Draghi - as well as by a very broad set of stakeholders, from international organisations to academics. Against this backdrop, the Commission presented on 16 November a Communication 'Towards a Positive Fiscal Stance for the Euro Area', confirming its intention to promote a more supportive fiscal policy in the euro area. Given the challenges that lie ahead and the current economic juncture, there is a strong case for increasing public investments in areas that increase the resilience of the European economy. In short, there is both a need and a unique window of opportunity for the EU to take action on the fiscal front at this precise point in time. This increased fiscal responsibility must be implemented in combination with supportive structural reforms and investments, making sure the elements of the 'virtuous triangle' are mutually reinforcing.