Centre-right parties have gained ground in elections to the European Parliament, according to exit polls and initial results. Results appeared immediately after voting ended in 19 EU countries at 2000 GMT. Eight other countries voted in the past few days. All 736 parliament seats are up for grabs. Preliminary figures suggest the lowest-ever turnout, at 43.24%. BBC correspondents say the figures will dent the EU's credibility.

Fringe groups appear to have benefited, with far-right parties picking up seats in the Netherlands and Hungary, partial results suggest. Several governments battling the economic downturn look set for a heavy defeat, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels.

However, governing parties in France and Germany appear to have done relatively well despite the crisis. In partial results so far:

  - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP trounced socialist opponents, while greens from the Europe-Ecologie party also made gains

 - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling centre-right grouping lost ground but finished ahead of its rivals

 - In Italy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition finished ahead of the socialist opposition, with between 39% and 43% of the vote, exit polls suggested

 - In the UK, the governing Labour Party is expecting a serious defeat, possibly slipping to fifth or even sixth place

 - Spain's governing Socialists were slightly behind the opposition Popular Party, according to partial results

BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell in Brussels says the parliament in Brussels has been buzzing with activity.  Party groupings have quite literally set out their stalls along the main walkway, alongside mini TV studios - some rather grand and gleaming, others little more than a stool and camera, our correspondent says.

Voters have been choosing representatives mainly from their own national parties, many of which then join EU-wide groupings with similarly-minded parties from other countries. The largest grouping has for the last five years been the centre-right EPP (288 seats out of a current 785), followed by the centre-left PES (216) and the liberal ALDE (100).

Provisional figures released by the EU suggested turnout was at an all-time low in some countries, including France (40.5%) and Germany (42.2%). In Malta, on the other hand, it was expected to near 80%, and in Brussels, there were long queues outside a polling station on the Grand Place on Sunday.

Turnout has fallen at each European election in the last 30 years, from nearly 62% in 1979 to 45.47% in 2004.

(BBC)