INTERNATIONAL ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS-EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES DIFFERING ORGAN DONATION REGULATIONS
By: Sabine Atkins,
Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life

The following is a comprehensive review of the differing organ donation regulations throughout Europe. It was sent to us by our colleague Sabine Atkins, Creator and Owner of the Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life; we encourage and support Sabine's efforts and hope you will visit her blog often - link below.

When it comes to organ donation, lack of knowledge about the rules and regulations can cause confusion and thus prevent people from registering as organ donors.

According to a new FORSA poll, initiated by a German health insurance provider, in the German state of Bavaria 4 out of 5 citizens don't have an organ donor card, however, most of those who were polled said that they would never register for opting-out.

The regulations concerning organ donation are not the same in every European country, here are the differences.

Extended Opt-In Regulation:
Germany applies the extended opt-in regulation. This means that the consent of the deceased to donate organs can be given during the person's lifetime with an organ donor card or by expressing his or her wishes in front of witnesses. This rule will be extended by also involving the family or a particular person the deceased has entitled to decide on a removal of organs. Decision making is always based on the known or presumed will of the deceased.

The Opt-out Principle:
If the deceased has not explicitly during his lifetime indicated his wish to opt-out of organ donation, for example in an opt-out data bank, his organs may be removed for transplantation. This statutory provision applies, for example, in Belgium, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic and Hungary.

The Information Principle:
If a deceased has never during his lifetime expressed to be against organ donation, the legislature is always assuming a willingness of a deceased to donate his organs. However, in any case, his relatives are informed of the planned removal of organs. The relatives do not have the right of appeal, but usually the doctors don't act against the wishes of relatives. This rule is in place in countries such as France
and Sweden.

Here is a list of European countries and the rules they follow regarding organ donation:

Belgium: Opt-out with right to appeal by relatives
Denmark: Extended Opt-In
Germany: Extended Opt-In
Finland: Opt-out with right to appeal by relatives
France: Information
Greece: Extended Opt-In
UK/Ireland: Extended Opt-In
Italy: Opt-out
Luxembourg: Opt-out
Netherlands: Extended Opt-In
Austria: Opt-out
Portugal: Opt-out
Sweden: Information
Slovenia: Opt-out
Spain: Opt-out
Czech Republic: Opt-out
Hungary: Opt-out

(translation: Sabine Atkins, http://www.alexoloughlinfansfordonatelife.com/, source: DSO - German
Foundation for Organ Transplantation)