The participation of the local and regional authorities in EU processes should be promoted and enhanced by the EU, the Member States and the same local/regional authorities. These should perform a stronger role in the constitutional architecture of the EU. In this way they would contribute more effectively to a limited, balanced and legitimate system of governance based on constitutionalism within the EU. The participation of sub-national authorities in the EU reconciles European integration with the multi-level systems of governance of the Member States; strengthens the legitimacy of EU and national (EU-related) decision-making processes; and reinforces the legal limitation of the decision-making power of both Union institutions and national authorities.