The parliament's electoral system is based on proportional representation [GALLO/GETTY]

From June 4 to 7 about 375 million people in 27 European Union countries will be eligible to vote for 736 members of parliament for a five-year-term.

Al Jazeera looks at the facts surrounding the European Parliament and its elections.

What is the European Parliament?

The European Parliament was established in 1952.

Universal suffrage to elect members was introduced in 1979, making it the only pan-European institution to be directly elected.

The parliament meets in Brussels, the Belgian capital, and Strasbourg, in France, and is tasked with the role of representing the interests of EU citizens.

It is one of the EU's three main institutions, the others being the Council of the European Union and the European Commission.

What does the European Parliament do?

It can help shape final EU legislation over food prices, working hours and the environment, causing some to argue that MEPs have greater influence than members of national parliaments.

The parliament shares power equally with the Council on around two-thirds of proposals for EU legislation under a procedure known as co-decision.

In some fields, such as agriculture, economic policy, visas and immigration, the Council alone legislates but must consult the parliament.

The parliament also monitors the work of the Council and can set up committees of inquiry based on petitions by EU citizens.

Who is elected?

The parliament's electoral system is based on the principal of proportional representation. So each EU member state is allocated a number of representatives based on the size of its population.

For example, Germany, which has the largest population in the bloc, will have the most MEPs in the assembly, while Malta, with the smallest population, will have the fewest.

Once in parliament, MEPs are grouped according to their political alliance, with each group containing a minimum of 25 ministers, representing at least seven member states.

There are some suggestions that minority parties, such as right-wing or environmental groups, may receive more votes in these elections due to anger over the economic crisis and the impact of climate change.

Who will be voting and when?

Voting takes place over four days, with Britain and the Netherlands being the first to cast their votes on June 4.

On June 5, Ireland will vote, followed by Latvia, Cyprus, Malta and Slovakia on June 6.

Two countries vote over two days - with the Czech Republic on June 5-6 and Italy on June 6-7.

On June 7, voting takes place in the remaining states - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Results, which are expected to come through on Sunday, cannot be released by any country until voting ends in all member states.