German parliament rejects proposal for opt-out organ donation system

A draft bill, according to which everybody would have been considered an organ donor unless they had expressly opted out of the system, failed to find a majority in the German parliament on Thursday. 

Organ donation in Germany to remain opt-in system

Organ donation in Germany will continue to be permitted only with the express consent of the donor. On Thursday morning, the Bundestag rejected an initiative, submitted by a group of MPs led by Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU), to reverse this principle. 

The “double contradiction solution” they proposed considers everyone a potential donor - unless they have objected. However, the bill did not reach a majority in the Bundestag, losing by 292 votes to 379. Three MPs abstained. 

On the other hand, however, a second draft was adopted. Introduced by Greens leader Annalena Berbock and Die Linke chairperson Katja Kipping, this proposal suggests that all citizens be asked to opt-in to the organ donation system at least every 10 years, for instance when collecting ID cards or passports. The bill also suggests that general practitioners should provide information on organ donation every two years. 

Low organ donation rate in Germany

The common goal of both of the proposals was to increase the number of organ donations in Germany, which are at a worrying low. With more than 9.000 people currently languishing on the waiting list, last year only 932 people agreed to donate, a reduction of 23 compared to 2018. 

With just 11,5 donors per million people, the organ donation rate in Germany is almost three times lower than that in the USA, despite the fact that American laws on organ donation are much tighter. 

Regardless of the debate, a law has been in force since last year to improve the conditions for organ donation in hospitals. It provides funding to increase the skills and freedoms of transplant officers working in the German healthcare system.