About the European Parliament
The first direct elections were held in 1979. The current Parliament has 626 Members, all elected under a system of proportional representation. Further information from the European Parliament website.

BBC News Online
Photo Journal: Inside Europe's parliament

Groups and parties
MEPs sit in political groups, not national delegations. The current groups are:

PPE-DE - Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats.  Manifesto

PSE - Group of the Party of European Socialists.  Manifesto

ELDR - Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party.  Manifesto

Verts/ALE - Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance.  Manifesto

GUE/NGL - Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left.  

UEN - Union for Europe of the Nations Group

EDD - Group for a Europe of Democracies and Diversities

NI - Non-attached (no website, but a list of NIs can be found here)

Details - political group and country 
5th term: 1999-2004
(with a link to 4th term: 1994-1999)

Acceding States Observers in the European Parliament

European elections 10-13 June
The official EP election site

Vote EU 2004
In-depth analysis from the BBC

Europe Counts
Official EP election website from European Parliament in the UK

LGIB guide to the 2004 European elections

European Parliament
2004 Elections: Key facts

EUobserver.com
EP-elections 2004

EurActiv
European Parliament Elections 2004

European Anti Poverty Network
Manifesto for the European Parliament Elections 2004
27.01.04: European Election Campaign: Voices of millions of people facing poverty must be heard!

Official documents, press releases, speeches
European Parliament
Statut et financement des partis politiques européens
Background Information:
Les 162 observateurs au Parlement européen - situation au 4/02/2004 
Les 626 députés au Parlement européen - situation au 4/02/2004 

Fact Sheets: 
The European Parliament: electoral procedures 
The European Parliament: historical background 

European Commission
29.01.04: Towards the first European Parliament "enlarged elections": participation of a further one million EU citizens living in outside their home country successfully guaranteed
29.10.03: Right to vote in EP elections in Gibraltar

Committee of the Regions
19.11.03: Making citizens aware of their right to vote in the European elections

HMSO
European Parliament (Representation) Act 2003 

Eligibility to participate
Under the Treaty on European Union every EU citizen has the right to vote - and to stand for election - in the Member State in which they live

Public opinion / public awareness
Electoral Commission
Public opinion and the 2004 elections. A study of attitudes towards elections for the European Parliament and London's Mayor and Assembly

European Commission
Public opinion
Eurobarometer 60 (Autumn 2003) - confidence in the European Parliament fell by 3 points to 54%
Eurobarometer 61 (Spring 2004) - 50% of EU15 citizens likely to vote
CCEB 2004.1 (Spring 2004) - 44% of citizens in Acceding States likely to vote

Guardian
08.12.03: We cannot afford to be apathetic about the EU
12.12.03: Ignorance is risk 

Institute for Citizenship
Europe

London Elects
European Election

Funding and financial aspects
Annual Accounts of Political Groups

Electoral Commission
13.02.04: Regulated period for European Parliamentary elections announced - political parties can spend £45,000 for each MEPs in the regions they contest

Previous elections
European Parliament
1999 EP elections (background, results)
UK MEPs

ElectionWeb
1984 European Parliament Election
1989 European Parliament Election
1994 European Parliament Election
1999 Election to European Parliament

Electionworld.org
Elections in the European Union

EP national offices, Commission Representations
EP Information Offices

UK Office of the European Parliament
On-line publications (includes the EP and: Business / Enlargement / Environment / Young People / Your MEPs / Scottish MEPs)