EU ministers aim for international limits on sperm/egg donation to curb “superdonor” issues observed globally, like in the Netherlands.
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The European Union’s health ministers are aiming to establish international limits on sperm and egg donation to address ethical issues like “super-donors.” Sweden and Belgium proposed this measure last June, with support from France, Hungary, Netherlands, and Spain. In Poland, the rule is that one donor can father a maximum of 10 children, though violations may occur, especially when using foreign sperm banks. This issue has been observed in the EU; for instance, Dutch media reported on “super-donors” where at least 85 donors fathered 25 or more children. Despite laws limiting births to 25 and later 12, enforcement was difficult due to privacy rules until a national registry system was implemented last year. Data since anonymity was removed in 2004 shows at least 85 mass donors in the Netherlands, including some fertility specialists who illegally fathered numerous children. The most prolific donor mentioned, Jonathan Jacob Meijer, reportedly fathered over 550 children globally. These findings indicate a medical crisis in the Netherlands with potentially thousands of children having large families. In Poland, couples facing male infertility use sperm from fertility banks after consulting with doctors, often due to low sperm count or quality.
