EU ministers propose international limits on sperm 'super donors'

A conjugation of EU wellness ministers wants to group world limits connected nan number of children a azygous sperm aliases ovum philanthropist tin produce, putting an extremity to nan "super sperm donor" phenomenon.

The proposal, successful nan shape of an accusation note, was introduced successful Luxembourg connected Friday by Sweden and Belgium during a gathering of EU wellness ministers, and it is backed by 4 different countries: France, Hungary, nan Netherlands, and Spain.

While galore European countries, including Sweden – 1 of nan lead proponents – person nationalist laws that headdress nan number of children per donor, nary world regulations presently exist.

Some commercialized sperm and ovum banks person group voluntary limits, specified arsenic 75 families per donor. However, others person nary specified restrictions.

As a result, it’s not uncommon for donor-conceived individuals to observe they person much than 100 familial half-siblings, successful stories that often pull nationalist attention.

A Dutch sperm philanthropist suspected of fathering complete 550 children worldwide and Telegram CEO Paul Durov, rumoured to beryllium nan biologic begetter of much than 100 children done years of sperm donation, are immoderate of nan better-known examples.

These and different akin cases raise "new concerns astir nan imaginable psychosocial effect connected donor-conceived children and donors,” Swedish Health Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson said.

More recently, further calls were made to limit nan number of donations aft different Dutch philanthropist whose sperm carried a uncommon cancer-related familial version was utilized to conceive astatine slightest 52 children, immoderate of whom person been diagnosed pinch cancer.

Call for a cross-border philanthropist register

Explaining their proposal, nan ministers person based on that world action is needed not only owed to ethical concerns but besides because of demographic trends, including declining fertility rates and delayed family planning.

These trends person compelled galore EU countries to progressively trust connected commercialized gamete banks that run internationally, making it harder to enforce philanthropist limits.

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said that world limits would only beryllium applicable if supported by a broad cross-border philanthropist register.

“We severely request a Europe-wide quota supported by an EU registry to guarantee due implementation,” he said.

“It is unacceptable that children aliases parents person to observe done familial testing that they could person 70 aliases much half-siblings crossed Europe aliases moreover globally. That is unethical and a consequence factor,” he continued.

While respective personnel states support nan initiative, nan European Commission is, for now, proceeding cautiously.

Proponents person called for an update to nan EU regularisation connected substances of quality origin. However, this authorities was revised only recently, successful June 2024.

Speaking astatine nan meeting, nan European Commission’s apical wellness official, Director-General for Health and Food Safety Sandra Gallina, called nan rumor a recurrent interest for personnel states and patients.

She pointed out, however, that regulating philanthropist offspring numbers falls chiefly nether nationalist jurisdiction, arsenic nan EU’s instruction successful this area is constricted to information and value standards.

“The EU tin thief raise consciousness among in-vitro fecundation professionals astir nationalist philanthropist limits,” Gallina explained.

She besides announced that nan Commission would respond to Sweden and Belgium’s petition by organising a chat involving nationalist authorities and nan European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), nan continent’s main master assemblage successful nan field.