FDP politician wants to overturn embryo protection law
In 1990, the German legislature banned egg donation. The risks for donors were deemed too high, and children might have identity issues. FDP politician Helling-Plahr finds these arguments outdated. A federal minister supports her planned motion to lift the ban.
FDP's legal expert Katrin Helling-Plahr is pushing for the legalization of egg donation in Germany and plans to introduce a group application in the Bundestag. "The arguments used by the legislature over 30 years ago to justify the ban on egg donation and altruistic surrogacy are no longer valid," she told the Bavarian media group.
She has decided to "contact the colleagues of the other democratic factions this summer and invite them to work together on a group application to legalize egg donation." Given the medical and societal progress since 1990, a comprehensive reform of the Embryo Protection Act is urgently needed, according to Helling-Plahr.
The ban on egg donation is based on the Embryo Protection Act passed in 1990. The ban is based on the assumption that children with two mothers - a genetic and a birth mother - could have identity issues.
Stark-Watzinger: Germany lags behind in research
Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger also advocates for a reform of the Embryo Protection Act - in the interest of researchers. "The research field offers great opportunities for the development of effective therapies for currently incurable diseases or for treating common diseases like diabetes, dementia, or heart attacks," she told the Bavarian media group. In Germany, research can currently only make a small contribution compared to other countries due to the tight restrictions of the Embryo Protection and Stem Cell Acts.
The existing regulations also put German scientists at a disadvantage when collaborating with international partners. "We cannot simply leave the field to others, but should seize this important opportunity," emphasized Stark-Watzinger. Therefore, a revision of the legal framework is necessary.
"A single ban law"
Medico-ethicist and lawyer Jochen Taupitz also calls for the legalization of egg donation. The Embryo Protection Act is "a single ban law" that is no longer up-to-date, said the Mannheim professor, who is a member of the Commission on Reproductive Self-Determination and Reproductive Medicine, to the Funke media group.
The fact that sperm donation is allowed, but egg donation is not, contradicts the principle of equality, Taupitz emphasized. In Germany, there is a massive interference with the reproductive self-determination of women - both of the donors and the recipients. "Egg donation is essentially an organ donation, and it should be treated as such."
Regarding the justification of the Embryo Protection Act, he said: "The fears of a so-called split motherhood have proven to be unfounded." The same applies to the medical concerns. When the law was passed in 1990, the risks for the donor were greater, but the procedures are now much gentler, according to Taupitz.
The Commission on Reproductive Self-Determination and Reproductive Medicine submitted a report in April, advocating for the allowance of egg donation under strict conditions. The report states: "The justification for the ban on egg donation, particularly the aim of avoiding split motherhood, should now be considered outdated and unconvincing." The committee also proposed a liberalization of abortion laws; the federal government plans to review these recommendations.
FDP politician Helling-Plahr receives support from a federal minister in her plan to lift the 1990 egg donation ban, citing outdated arguments and the need for a comprehensive reform of the Embryo Protection Act. Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger also advocates for a reform of the Embryo Protection Act, as the tight restrictions hinder German research progress and put German scientists at a disadvantage in international collaborations.
