Est. 2min 24-04-2008 (updated: 28-05-2012 ) transplantation_03.jpg Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Français | DeutschPrint Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram With 40,000 patients in Europe currently on a waiting list for an organ transplant, the European Parliament has backed the Commission’s idea of an EU organ donor card to complement existing national systems and remedy organ shortage. On 22 April, the Parliament adopted an own-initiative report on the Commission’s proposals for EU action on organ donation. It welcomed the intitiative, which aims to improve cooperation between member states on the issue and make recommendations on the way forward. MEPs particularly stressed that organ donation must stay strictly non-commercial and asked the Commission and Europol to better combat organ trafficking as well as transplant tourism. According to the non-binding report, “any commercial exploitation of organs is unethical and inconsistent with the most basic human values” and organ donation out of financial motivation “degrades the gift of an organ to a mere commodity which constitutes a violation of human dignity”. MEPs voted in favour of the Commisison proposal to introduce a European donor card to complement existing national systems. Indeed, a recent Eurobarometer survey on Europeans’ views on organ donation showed that eight out of ten Europeans favour organ donor cards. They also underlined the importance of increasing public awareness of organ donation and transplantation in order to facilitate the identification of organ donors and increase organ availability. To do so, the House “calls on the Commission, member states and civil society to enhance structurally the promotion of organ donation, inter alia among youngsters in schools” and “suggests using well known personalities (for example sportsmen and sportswomen) and educational packs” to do this. Read more with Euractiv Commission asked to draft cancer action plan With over 6,000 new cancer cases diagnosed daily in Europe and a dramatic increase in statistics expected due to ageing populations, EU health ministers have agreed that an integrated EU action plan to fight the disease is needed. Positions"Thousands of lives are saved every year in Europe by organ transplants. Yet many more lives could be saved if we could reduce the current shortage of organs in many European countries. A European organ donor card, and common EU standards on the quality and safety of organ donations and transplants, could add value to national efforts to secure a sufficient and safe supply or organs," said former Health Commisioner Markos Kyprianou, launching the communication in spring 2007. The author of the Parliament's response to the Commission, Cypriot MEP Adamos Adamou (GUE/NGL) made a plea for all EU citizens "to embrace altruism and to become donors themselves" and called for "the establishment of an effective system for the identification of individuals who could become organ donors after their death". The Parliment's Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE Group) welcomed the adoption of the report, but highlighted that international cooperation in the field of organ donation and transplantation "must remain voluntary" while "more needs to be done to promote awareness of the shortage in organs available for transplant". "A voluntary European donor card could contribute to the efficient identification of donors and available organs. Furthermore, by expanding the donor pool many lives can be saved, especially amongst children and patients with special needs. A baby of three months old, who needs a new heart for example can only obtain a replacement from another three month old baby. To fulfil such special needs in time it is particularly essential for small countries to increase their donor pool through international cooperation," said MEP Jules Maaten (ALDE, NL). BackgroundOrgan transplantation has steadily increased in recent years across the EU, but the number of people requiring a transplant is still higher than the number of organs available. In May 2007, the Commission proposed a set of EU policy actions on organ donation and transplantation to tackle the challenges it has identified in the field: Transplant risks: the risk of diseases being transmitted to the recipients such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, bacteria, fungi, parasites and different types of cancers. Organ shortages: Every day nearly ten patients die while waiting for an organ. Organ trafficking: While current estimations indicate that organ trafficking remains relatively modest in Europe, the issue is nevertheless of serious political and ethical concern. The communication aims to increase organ availability and better organise national transplant system and proposes an EU directive on the quality and safety of organ donation. Further ReadingPolitical Groups Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats press release:Reinforced European cooperation to tackle donor organ shortage. Frieda Brepoels MEP(22 April 2008) Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe press release:Liberals & Democrats call for an EU organ donor card(22 April 2008) Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left press release:Organ donation and transplantation: action and altruism needed to save lives(22 April 2008) Non-assigned links PreLex:Commission communication on Organ donation and transplantation: Policy actions at EU level [FR] [FR] [DE] European Parliament news:How to fight organ shortages and "transplant tourism"(22 April 2008) European Parliament news:How to fight organ shortages and "transplant tourism"(26 March 2008) Commission:Organs Commission:Organ donation and transplantation. Policy actions at EU level slide Commission press release:Commission proposes actions to increase organ donations and transplants(30 May 2007) [FR] [FR] [DE] Commission memo:Questions and Answers on organ donation and transplantation in the EU(30 May 2007) Eurobarometer:Europeans and organ donation(May 2007)
