Brussels, 20/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - In a letter to the Chairman of the European Convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, British Labour member Richard Corbett, MEP, notes that comments were made during the Convention regarding the low level of turnout at European elections which, some say, "undermines the legitimacy of the European Parliament". The lack of interest shown by voters is a "common problem", he says, specifying that the level of participation or turnout in European Parliament elections fell by 13 percentage points between 1979 and 1999 (from 62% in 1979 to 49.5% in 1999). In national parliament elections, it has fallen: - 16.6 points in the UK between the 1979 and 2001 elections; - 16.6 points in Portugal between 1979 and 2001; - 14.8 points in the Netherlands between 1977 and 1998; - 13.3 points in France between 1973 and 1997; - 12.9% in Germany (before unification) between 1976 and 1990; - 11.8 in Austria between 1986 and 1999; - 10.2 in Ireland between 1977 and 1997; - and 10 points in Finland between 1979 and 1999 (data from IDEA, the Institute for Democracy, Stockholm). In the United States, the MEP says, mid-term congressional elections also had a very low turnout: 36.2% in 1998 (only 23.1% in Tennessee and 26% in Texas), whereas the statistics for 2002, which are not yet finalised, are even lower. This said, Mr Corbett admits that it is natural for there to be a lower turnout for European elections than for national elections as they are less visibly important - hence the suggestion, he said, to have the President of the Commission elected by the EP.