Press release

Although the use of human organs for transplantation has steadily increased in recent years across the EU, the number of people requiring a transplant is still greater than the number of organs available for transplant. The own-initiative report drafted by Adamos Adamou (GUE/NGL, CY) recalls that currently many thousands of patients in Europe, with a significant mortality rate, are registered on waiting lists. The report was adopted with 653 votes in favour 14 against and 16 abstentions.

 

Mr Adamou said: "10 people die, waiting for an organ donation.  It is in our hands to send a forceful message to the Commission but also above all to the Member States and our Governments. The time has come to take action as European citizens, to mobilise existing resources, to coordinate, to exchange expertise and best practices, to sensitise public opinion, to embrace altruism and to become donors ourselves."

 

 

The European Parliament stresses that organ donation must stay “strictly non-commercial” and should be made altruistically and voluntarily, ruling out payments between donors and recipients. Compensation should be possible only to make good expenses and inconveniences related to the donation. “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”, say MEPs.

 

 

The report stresses that “organ trafficking undermines the credibility of the system for potential voluntary and unpaid donors”. The Commission and Member States are asked to take measures to prevent "transplant tourism", including drawing up guidelines to protect the poorest and most vulnerable donors from being victims of organ trafficking and adopting measures that increase the availability of legally procured organs.  Moreover, Member States should take the necessary measures to prevent insurance companies reimbursing costs incurred in obtaining illegal organ transplantation.

 

 

MEP regret that Europol did not come up with a survey on organ selling and trafficking because Europol claims that there are no documented cases. The House  refers to reports of the Council of Europe and the WHO which give clear evidence that the organ trade is also a problem for EU Member States and asks the Commission and Europol to improve monitoring of cases of organ trafficking and draw the necessary conclusion.

 

 

The European Parliament proposes to introduce a European donor card, complementary to existing national systems. MEPs also note that those who are not suitable donors should be encouraged to carry a card to that effect as well in order to facilitate a swift identification of organs. Additionally, Member States should make it possible to appoint a legal representative who can decide on donation after one's death, states the report.

 

 

Establishing well-structured operational systems and promoting successful models in and between Member States and at international level is of “utmost importance” to fight organ shortage more effectively, say MEPs. They call on the Commission to promote research in biotechnology which, in the future, “may offer the possibility for researchers to grow organs from existing tissues and cells, either from the patients themselves or from other tissue donors”.

 

MEPs support reinforced cooperation between Member States leading to increased organ sharing between EU Member States. In particular small Member States with a limited donor pool could clearly benefit from European co-operation, says the report. The Commission should, therefore, facilitate alliances between national transplantation organisations in Member States.

 

 

MEPs stress that “a very effective way of increasing organ availability is to provide more information to the public”.  They propose establishing a transplant "hotline" with a single telephone number managed by a national transplantation organisation and manned 24 hours/day, which can rapidly provide relevant and accurate information.

 

 

 

 

Finally, MEPs recognise that it is “vitally important to improve the quality and safety of organ donation and transplantation” to reduce transplant risks. Hence, the House looks forward to the Commission’s proposal for a directive setting requirements to assure the quality and safety for organ donation across the EU. However, the forthcoming legislative framework should not create an additional administrative burden nor should it jeopardise the use of existing good practices or lead to a decrease in the number of potential and actual donors, stress MEPs.