THE next elections to the European Parliament are expected to be held between 23 and 26 May.

Whether the UK will take part is unclear as we are supposed to leave the EU on Friday.

But taking part the elections would more than likely be a condition if the other EU 27 nations grant the UK a longer extension to the Article 50 process.

It will partly depend on what happens at today's EU summit in Brussels.

Theresa May is asking to delay Brexit until 30 June, with the option of pulling out earlier if a deal and the necessary legislation is approved by MPs.

If that happens by May 22, the PM has said the European elections would not go ahead in the UK.

The terms of any Brexit extension must first be agreed by all 28 EU countries.

Scottish parties are busy preparing for the contest knowing that it could still be cancelled.

WHAT IS SCOTLAND'S ROLE IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT?
SCOTLAND constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament.

The Scottish constituency was formed as a result of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999, replacing a number of single-member constituencies. These were Glasgow, Highlands and Islands, Lothians, Mid Scotland and Fife, North East Scotland, South of Scotland, Strathclyde East, and Strathclyde West.

This constituency will be abolished when the Article 50 process is completed.

HOW MANY MEPS DOES SCOTLAND HAVE?
SCOTLAND has six of the UK's 73 seats in the European Parliament.

The MEPs elected to represent Scotland in 2014 were: Alyn Smith and Ian Hudghton of the SNP, Tories Nosheena Mobarik and Ian Duncan, Labour's Catherine Stihler and former Scottish Ukip leader David Coburn.

Stihler stood down in January and Coburn has since left Ukip to join Farage's Brexit party. Duncan resigned his seat in September 2017, to take up a seat in the House of Lords and be appointed as Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. He was replaced by Nosheena Mobarik.

WHO'S RUNNING FOR THE ELECTIONS THIS YEAR?
THE SNP have said they will be "up for the cup" in next month's elections. Smith said both he Hudghton would stand again if the UK takes part in vote, with the SNP also putting forward other candidates.

They hope to be among the three men and three women chosen by electronic ballot around the time of the SNP conference.

It's thought the former MSP and minister Aileen MacLeod and Smith's chief of staff, Laura Rayner, have also put their names forward.

READ MORE: SNP will be 'up for the cup' in European elections, says Alyn Smith

The Scottish Greens have launched a crowdfunder to kick out Coburn and replace him with the party's first MEP. At the time of writing, it had raised £4,683 of its £10,000 target.

Labour's longest-standing MEP David Martin has agreed to stand again for Scottish Labour but will be joined by new candidates on the list after Stihler's resignation. Other potential candidates have until 10 April to put their names forward. A special panel of Scottish and UK party bosses will then interview and select five more hopefuls.

Conservative Nosheena Mobarik, who took Ian Duncan's seat after he joined the House of Lords to become a Scotland Office minister, will likely top the Tory list. She replaced Ian Duncan in the European Parliament in 2017 when he quit to take up a seat in the Lords and become a Scotland office minister. The Tories second placed candidate is likely to be Iain McGill, who campaigned for Vote Leave in 2016. 

Scottish LibDem members are currently ranking twelve potential candidates, with party convenor, Sheila Ritchie, considered the favourite.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WHEN WE LEAVE THE EU?
SCOTLAND'S six seats are to be shared between the EU's 27 remaining states if and when the UK leaves.

If Scotland achieves independence it would seek to join the EU. Alyn Smith, who has been an MEP for 15 years, recently asked the EU to "leave a light on for Scotland" in a speech that was applauded by top EU officials.

READ MORE: SNP MEP to Europe: 'Leave a light on for Scotland'