What power does the European Commission have to take action in the field of human organs?
Since 1999, the EU has had the mandate, under Article 152 of the Treaty, to legislate on quality and safety standards for human tissues and cells, human organs, and blood used in medical treatment. EU Directives have already been adopted on blood and on tissues and cells). A similar Directive on the quality and safety of organs could be envisaged in the future, depending on the outcome of the consultations and assessments currently being carried out by the Commission. What is the current situation regarding donation and transplantation in the EU? The number of organ donations and transplantations has grown steadily across the EU and thousands of lives are saved every year through this medical procedure. However, there are also many problems in this sector. The level of organ donation does not come close to meeting the demand, and nearly 10 people die every day in Europe while waiting for an organ. There are wide variations between Member States in organ donation rates, ranging from 34.
