Voters in the 15 EU countries have been going to the polls since Thursday to select a new European Parliament, the EU's only directly elected body.
The following are some facts about the assembly:
Some 298 million potential voters choose its members.
The Assembly has 626 members (MEPs), who serve a five-year term.
The Parliament was originally set up as a consultative assembly, but its powers have gradually expanded so it now has the right to amend or veto much of the legislation agreed by EU governments.
It can also reject the EU budget, set up committees of inquiry, sack the EU's executive Commission and veto international agreements or block EU expansions.
During the 1990s, the parliament won the power to reject the candidate selected by EU governments to serve as Commission president as well as the entire Commission.
The parliament holds monthly week-long plenary sessions in Strasbourg, France. Most other activities, such as committee meetings and political group meetings, take place in Brussels.
The outgoing parliament was divided into eight multinational political groups, dominated by the Socialists, with 214 seats, and the centre-right European People's Party, with 201 seats.
Some highlights of the parliament's history:
June 1979. Voters take part in first direct elections.
November 1993. Maastricht Treaty introduces "co-decision" procedures giving Parliament the right to veto legislation in areas including single market measures, health and consumer protection and environmental action programmes.
March 1999. Entire 20-member Commission resigns after the committee of experts issues a damning report.