EU moves toward harmonizing human origin material regulations, addressing donor anonymity and compensation practices across member states.
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An initial European effort towards coordination in human donation began with proposals from Sweden and Belgium, supported by France, Hungary, Netherlands, and Spain, aiming to set a maximum number of children per donor and establish a shared network among member states’ health authorities. The SoHO Regulation, published on July 18, 2024, mandates minimum quality and safety standards for human-origin substances like gametes, embryos, breast milk, and bone marrow, while allowing national laws significant leeway; countries have until 2027 to implement it, though a shared European database remains hypothetical. Another key issue is donor anonymity, as some nations allow adult children access to basic donor information (like age and health), while others maintain fully or partially anonymous systems. Greece offers an “ID-release” option for sperm donation allowing offspring to access identifying data after age 18, but adoption by donors and clear protocols are lacking. Furthermore, the reality of donation is complex; while Italy prohibits direct compensation, countries like Greece and Spain offer payments ranging from 50 to 400 euros per donation, and some Danish sperm banks provide more substantial reimbursements and online catalogs allowing selection based on physical traits, aptitudes, and even IQ.
