Samenvatting

The severe shortage of donors is a major constraint facing European countries. In Europe more than 60,000 patients are on waiting lists for an organ transplantation. Because of the shortage of donated organs, every day almost ten people die in Europe while on the waiting list.

But what are the causes and consequences of this major problem? To begin with the causes. There is an increasing gap between the demand side and the supply side of organs, not many people are willing to donate and too few people register their wishes to donate or not or make sure that their family members know their wishes. The problem of organ donor shortage in Europe has four main consequences: increasing waiting lists for an organ transplantation, increasing living donations, organ tourism and trade in human organs.

Spain has the most succesful organ donation and transplantation system of the world. The donation rate in Spain is increasing partly because of the opt-out system (citizens are automaticaly placed on a register of donors unless they or their family object), but particularly because every hospital has a team of transplant co-ordinators, also know as the Spanish model. When the Spanish National Transplant Organisation (Organización Nacional de Trasplantes) was created in 1989, the organisation believed that the problem of organ donor shortage was not the lack of suitable donors, but rather a problem of identifying potential donors and obtaining consent. Therefore, Spain has implemented a standardised donation process in every hospital. A team of specially trained physicians and nurses, called donation team, is responsible for the donation process and the donation performance in their hospital.

In May 2007, the European Commission adopted a Communication proposing actions for a better coordination between EU Member States on organ donation and transplantation. In my opinion we should keep focussing on three important features of this Communication in order to increase the number of organ donors in Europe:

To begin with cooperation between Member States:
Cooperation between the Member States should focus on identifying the best systems, sharing experience, promoting best practice and helping Member States whose systems do not perform well. A common EU policy on organ donation and transplantation is a way to ensure that the best system, an opt-out system combined with the Spanish model, will be expanded throughout Europe.

Raise public awareness:
People should know that it is important to record their wishes to donate or not and to discuss their wishes with their family. Discussing organ donations and transplantations at family level has a positive influence on how people think about organ donation and in particular on the people's willingness to donate. The media and awareness-raising campaigns contribute to increasing the number of Europeans who want to donate one of their organs after they die.

Creation of a European organ donor card:
A European organ donor card indicates the holder's wishes to donate organs or not. The creation of a European organ donor card alongside existing national organ donor cards would bring big benefits. The European Commission assumes that the creation of a European donor card, combined with an awareness-raising campaign, will contribute to increasing the number of people who want to donate one of their organs after they die.