Increasing the Supply of Donor Organs Within the European Union

Book excerpt: In May 2007, the European Commission issued a communication relating to organ donation and transplantation. This made a number of proposals for actions which were designed to help increase the supply of donor organs across the EU. The two major elements were: first, the introduction of a directive aimed at setting standards for the quality and safety of organ donation and transplantation across the EU; and, second, the establishment of an action plan for closer cooperation between Member States in sharing experiences and best practice. This Report brings together evidence relating to the Commission's proposals and draws conclusions about their merits. It also sets out evidence received about a range of matters relating to organ donation which are not within Community competence but which are of central relevance to the shortage of organs for donation: the Organ Donation Taskforce's recent recommendations for the re-organisation of the health infrastructure in the UK; and the proposal, by the Chief Medical Officer for England, that current legislation in England should be changed in order to create a "presumed consent" or "opt-out" system for organ donation in place of the existing "opt-in" system. The Committee's conclusion is that the proposals set out in the Commission's communication would help to raise the numbers of organs available for transplantation as well as the overall safety and quality of those organs. The proposed directive should not be overly bureaucratic and should not inhibit the application of expert clinical judgement and informed patient choice.