Besides setting up a normative postulate it is a matter of practical reason to establish democracy in order to solve the relationships between democracy and civil society, social balance and the ability to solve problems through political organizations. This understanding could be helpful in the process of building a European Constitution. Even this small overview shows that the European treaties already contain many elements necessary for a modern type of constitution. While these principles define procedural rules it does not in itself provide the values necessary to decide whether the principle can be applied. What these principles call for are values from outside the principles.
Regionalism leads a shadowy existence in the treaties.
The attempt to constitute a right of action for the Committee of the Regions in the Amsterdam Treaty has failed. It is unclear whether this committee has more than a bureaucratic existence. The Amsterdam Treaty provided new provisions on data protection and freedom of information. Horizontal rather than hierarchical governance. The treaty didn't touch this kind of problems at all.