The dimension of peace and security is addressed in each preamble, albeit for different reasons. The dimension of peace, specifically, moves from a central position in the ECSC treaty, to a marginal one in the SEA and Maastricht ones. The ECSC preamble, indeed, presents peace as its raison d'être, since this represents the main goal of the establishment of a European community. Both in the EEC and SEA preambles, on the other hand, the desire "to preserve and strengthen peace"[13] is addressed, but less prominently. The EEC preamble stresses the primary importance of economic and social progress, whereas the SEA one addresses peace in the context of the introduction of a common security and foreign policy, meant to increase political cooperation and make the EC more efficient. On its part, the Maastricht Treaty addresses peace both in its historical dimension and in relation to the implementation of further EC security and foreign policies, especially as regards the establishment of a shared defence policy. The Lisbon treaty, finally, makes no mention of the necessity to maintain internal peace, omitting the idea that "peoples of Europe are determined to transcend their former divisions"[28], as expressed in the (failed) Constitutional treaty.

As opposed to the dimension of peace and security, the importance of economic and social progress increases in later treaties. In the ECSC preamble, for instance, economic cooperation is mainly presented as a means to the end of securing internal peace and security. As previously stated in the Schuman Plan, the aim is to make war "not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible"[5]. From the EEC treaty onwards, on the other hand, economic and social progress play an increasingly central role in the European process of integration. The EEC preamble is primarily focused on economic progress, to the aim of improving living standards and reducing economic inequality throughout Europe. The SEA, on its part, aims to improve Europe’s socio-economic conditions by "extending new common policies and pursuing new objectives [i.e. economic and monetary union]"[17]. The Maastricht treaty itself aims to strengthen and converge national economies through the establishment of a single and stable currency, while at the same time stressing the importance of this progress being "accompanied by parallel progress in other fields"[22], especially the environmental one. The only exception, due to the previously analysed characters, is the Lisbon preamble, which makes no reference to economic and social progress.

The Principles & Community sphere is perhaps the one that sees the most significant changes throughout the evolution of the preambles. Indeed, a major rift can be highlighted between the ECSC treaty, which makes no mention of any shared values or heritage, to the Maastricht and Lisbon ones, which are "resolved to establish a common citizenship"[22], taking inspiration from the European common heritage. Indeed, the idea of common European values is first introduced by the EEC preamble, defining liberty as a core value of the human being and making reference to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The SEA treaty, later on, stresses the importance of the democratic will of European people, on the basis of the "fundamental rights […] [of] freedom, equality and social justice"[17]. The Maastricht treaty, on its part, introduces the idea of European citizenship as inseparable from some key values, including democracy, liberty, human rights and the rule of law. In order to strengthen the idea of a common citizenship, finally, the Lisbon treaty introduces the idea of a common heritage, especially in the cultural, religious and humanities fields, suggesting that the inalienable rights of the human being (such as freedom, democracy, etc.) derive from it.