Brussels, 21/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - On 20 December, the Council adopted the decision to open to the public all Council debate and voting on legislation under the co-decision procedure with the European Parliament. The Council may also decide to let the public attend other debates and decisions which are of special interest to ordinary people in the EU. Debates on the annual programmes of the Council and Commission will also be opened to the public. The decision comes into force immediately. A website where the debates and votes will be broadcast live will be up and running by the summer of next year. A spokesperson for the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margot Wallstrom, said: 'This is a big step towards a European Union which is more transparent and understandable to citizens. The Commission welcomes the decision. Transparency of Council debates was one of the initiatives that the Commission has put forward in the framework of Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate. It is crucial for regaining the trust of citizens in the European Union and for the credibility of the institutions.'