Yearly cinema attendance in the European Union passed the 1 billion mark in 2004 for only the second time since 1990, an audiovisual agency said Wednesday. European films accounted for only 26.5 percent of tickets sold last year, with American films attracting 71.1 percent of viewers, figures almost identical with 2003. The French were the most avid cinema-goers, leading EU nations in ticket sales with 194.8 million tickets bought, a 12.3 rise against 2003. The Associated Press reports.