European Union leaders, in a drive for greater transparency, are likely to open up more ministerial debates and votes to cameras under a reform to be debated at a summit in Seville, Spain, next week.
Citizens would be able to watch the European Commission present proposals to ministers, listen to their initial debate and observe the final deliberation and vote on a wide range of EU legislation.
They may find it mind-numbingly dull, but EU politicians see the exercise as one way to try to reconnect the public with the European integration project.
Audience figures for parliamentary broadcasting in most member states are miniscule. But having to vote and justify their position in public could make it harder for governments to blame unpopular policies on "Brussels", officials said.
The greater openness would cover many economic and regulatory issues where the European Parliament has the right of co-decision with member governments. But it would not include foreign policy, defence, justice and home affairs.
The plan, aspects of which are still hotly contested by some member states, would also slim down the number of EU ministerial councils, ensure shorter and better-prepared EU summits and take a step towards majority voting at summits for the first time.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the Spanish EU presidency propose cutting the number of specialised councils from 16 to about 10, restricting the size of delegations at EU summits, shortening them to one day and barring special guests with rare exceptions.
Diplomats said France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg opposed a plan to allow the chairman of an EU summit to note of the existence of a majority on an issue where majority voting applies at ministerial level.
They argued that it would undermine the authority of the European Council, as EU summits are officially known. The EU's highest body has no official decision-making power and has always operated by consensus.
The Spanish report, published before EU foreign ministers debate it on Monday, said the European Council should be allowed "to take stock of current positions" - a virtual straw poll.
The dissenters say that would lead to summits being used as an appeal court for piles of unresolved issues. But some analysts say their real concern is about potential political humiliation if their leader is outvoted at an EU summit.
Ironically, Britain, which has long fought to keep a veto over key areas of European legislation, backs the Spanish idea.