Organ donation and transplantation - policy actions at EU level

The availability of donor organs is often a question of life and death for patients requiring a transplant. With transplantation now a commonplace technique, one of the main factors limiting the number of transplants is the shortage of organs. On 8 December 2008 the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation and a 10 point Action Plan to work with Member States on strengthening organ donation and transplantation systems in Europe. The Directive and Action Plan address three key challenges: improving the quality and safety of organs across Europe, increasing organ availability and making transplant systems more efficient and accessible.

The link address is: http://ec.europa.eu/health/blood_tissues_organs/organs/index_en.htm