 Democratic transparency is a key principle of the European project, at least in theory. In practice, things are often very different. European ombudsman Emilio Reilly put it bluntly when she said, It is virtually impossible for a citizen to know how a European law came into being and what the position of his or her country's government was on that law. Much of the secrecy stems from the Council of the EU. The Council is Europe's most powerful legislative body, yet it convenes mostly behind doors that remain firmly shut. This creates a bizarre of influence, where states of big and small trade favours. Meanwhile the public can only guess at the deals being struck out of sight. This is why Investigate Europe has launched the project Sequence of the Council. Over the coming months, Investigate Europe's reporters will seek to reveal the inner workings of the institution that is Europe's most powerful and its most secretive.