The possibility of an EU-wide organ donor card was discussed by Members of the European Parliament this week.
It was amongst a series of measures proposed to tackle a shortage of donors, transplantation risks as well as organ trafficking and tourism.
More than 60,000 people across the Union are currently on waiting lists for transplants.
Also on Monday’s agenda was the European Ombudsman’s right to access to information held by EU bodies.
The state of organ donation was raised in an own initiative report by Cypriot MEP Adamos Adamou and will be put to the vote today.
The main proposal is a voluntary European organ donor card alongside existing national ones.
It also proposes that people can appoint a legal representative to decide on donation after death.
The report wants all organs to be exchanged on a “strictly non-commercial basis”.
The report notes that many people die before transplants can be carried out and pushes for research that could lead to the growth of organs from existing tissues and cells.
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“It will need a well-promoted campaign to make everyone aware of the benefits of a Euro-scheme, and care must be taken to avoid raising expectations too far, given the length of travel that could be necessary with well-matched donors and robustly tested organs in different countries and maintaining the viability of organs and maximising the prognosis for the transplant.” – Jean Roberts, north of England, UK
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