Around 360 million people in 27 countries are eligible to vote in the European elections which will be held from 6 to 9 June. The German News Agency (dpa) has gathered some important facts about the elections and the European Union.

When are the European elections held?

The vote for the election of the members of the European Parliament will be held from June 6-9 in all the member countries of the European Union, on different dates for each country.

The Dutch will be the first to start voting on June 6. They will be followed by voters in Ireland on June 7. Voters in Latvia, Malta and Slovakia go to the polls the following day, June 8. The Czech Republic and Italy vote over two days on June 7-8 and June 8-9 respectively. In the rest of the EU, elections will be held on Sunday 9 June.

Who votes?

Almost 360 million citizens have the right to vote in the EU. The minimum age varies, but in most European countries it is 18 years.

For the first time in Germany, minors also have the right to vote, as the voting age for the European elections has been lowered from 18 to 16.

This results in an increase in the number of voters in Germany from around 61.5 million in 2019 to just under 65 million this year.

Who are elected?

A total of 720 members of the European Parliament will be elected, among several thousand candidates.

There will be fewer members of the European Parliament this time, partly because of the shrinking parliament after Britain leaves the EU in 2020.

Where is the seat of the European Parliament?

The European Parliament has two seats — in Brussels (Belgium) and Strasbourg (France).

Most of the time the plenary is convened in Strasbourg to pass laws. Parliament meetings in Brussels are usually held on a daily basis for other parliamentary matters.

Are voters going to choose the members of other EU legislatures as well?

No, the elections are held only for the seats of the European Parliament.

The EU’s other main legislative body, the Council of the EU, represents the governments of the member countries. In it, ministers from member countries meet in various formations, for example all EU foreign ministers or education ministers, to discuss matters of common interest.

The European Commission — which proposes draft laws for examination, amendment or even rejection by the other two institutions — is not elected. It consists of 27 Commissioners including the President of the Commission, each of whom is appointed by his/her country after the European elections.

What is the population of the EU?

The EU’s population of 27 member countries combined is just under 450 million. The countries together have a GDP that reaches almost 17 trillion euros and their trade exchanges correspond to about 15% of world trade.

When was the EU founded?

The Treaty of Rome of 1957 established the European Economic Community (EEC), the forerunner of the European Union. After the Maastricht Treaty, this group of countries uses the name European Union.

More countries have gradually joined the EU since then. Its most important expansion took place in 2004 with the accession of 10 countries, mainly from central and eastern Europe, Cyprus and Malta. Britain is the only country that has left the EU.