OOCYTE DONATION - THE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK IN WESTERN-EUROPE

Relatively few countries have legislation addressing oocyte donation. Where such legislation does exist it is entirely in the context of bro ader legislation concerned with the regulation of in-vitro fertilizati on (IVF) Or assisted reproduction more generally. Within Western Europ e only nine countries so far have passed Acts addressing assisted repr oduction. These countries fall into two groups in their approach to oo cyte donation: those which do not allow gamete donation, and hence ooc yte donation, in the context of IVF (Austria, Germany, Norway and Swed en) and those which specifically permit the use of donor oocytes in th e treatment of infertility or to avoid the transmission of disease (De nmark, France, Spain and the UK). In Switzerland, a federation of cant ons, where legislation relating to assisted reproduction is primarily a cantonal matter, except where it affects constitutional rights, the picture is similar. The Canton of Aargau does not allow gamete donatio n in the context of IVF, the Cantons of Glarus and Basel do not permit gamete donation at all and the remaining cantons follow the guideline s of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences.