Newsroom - Organs, tissues and cells
Draft legislative proposal for a new EU Regulation on Blood, Tissues and Cells
On 14 July 2022, the European Union (EU) Commission issued its draft legislative proposal for a new EU Regulation on Blood, Tissues and Cells (BTC), in which the EU Commission proposes to leverage on the technical standards and proven expertise of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and...
EDQM publishes 8th edition of the Guide to the quality and safety of organs for transplantation
The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) has just published the 8th edition of the Guide to the quality and safety of organs for transplantation. The updated guide provides practical guidance to all professionals in the field, as well as technical guidance to...
Council of Europe adopts recommendation on developing and optimising programmes for the donation of organs after the circulatory determination of death
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)3 on the development and optimisation of programmes for the donation of organs after the circulatory determination of death in February 2022. Each year thousands of patients die or endure poor quality of life...
EDQM helping increase tissue donation thanks to a better understanding of post-mortem blood testing practices
Tissue from one deceased donor may be transplanted into as many as 100 individuals, improving their quality of life and even saving their lives (e.g. in the treatment of catastrophic burns). However, the use of tissues of human origin can result in unintentional transmission of disease. Such...
European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation, 9 October 2021: Join us online to celebrate! #JustSayYesEODD
This year, celebrations for the European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation (EODD) will take place online on Saturday, 9 October. EODD is an opportunity to discuss organ, tissue and cell donation and transplantation and reflect upon their importance, as well as to thank donors, their...
Join us online to celebrate the European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation on 9 October 2021! #JustSayYesEODD
Organ, tissue and cell transplantation is one of the great medical success stories of modern times. In many cases, it is the only life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure, devastating burn injuries or blood cancers, and in many others it can significantly improve the...
Newsletter Transplant 2021 now available
The 2021 edition of the Newsletter Transplant has just been published. It summarises comprehensive information and data for 2020 from 82 countries worldwide on donation and transplantation activities, management of waiting lists, organ donation refusals and authorised centres for transplantation...
EDQM fertility preservation guide now available
Personal choices regarding parenthood can be affected by disease and other life events that might have an impact on a person’s fertility. Making informed decisions in this highly personal area is of great importance to the health and well-being of individuals everywhere. The European Directorate...
The Council of Europe appoints future EDQM Director
The Council of Europe has appointed Petra Dörr, PhD, as future Director of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM). She will take over the function from the current Director, Susanne Keitel, in October 2021. Petra Dörr comes to the EDQM with more than 25 years of...
Committee of the Parties of the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs to be convened following Switzerland’s ratification
On 21 October 2020, Switzerland ratified the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs, also known as the Santiago de Compostela Convention. The convention will enter into force in the country as of 1 February 2021. This legal instrument identifies various activities...
EODD, 10 October 2020: take a minute to think about organ, tissue and cell donation
Organ, tissue and cell transplantation is one of the great medical success stories of modern times. In many cases, it is the only life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure, devastating burn injuries or blood cancers, and in many others it can significantly improve the...
New Council of Europe guidance on the protection of haematopoietic progenitor cell donors
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a recommendation1 calling on member states to take measures to protect the health of donors of haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). These cells are used as a lifesaving treatment for patients with severe blood diseases and are the...
Newsletter Transplant 2020 now available
As health systems worldwide continue to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EDQM/Council of Europe publishes this year’s issue of the Newsletter Transplant. The timely release of this issue is proof of the EDQM’s dedication to the international medical community and all those...
Past event: Keep calm and use your QMS to carry on: Tissue banking in the new normality
As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to stabilise and we gradually return to normal daily life, it will be important to continue to ensure a safe and sufficient supply of tissues from deceased donors and to support donation and transplantation programmes. Additional measures will have to be taken to...
EDQM webinar: tissue donation from deceased donors during the COVID-19 pandemic
Maintaining a safe, sufficient and accessible supply of critical and essential tissues for human application during a pandemic is of vital importance to public health systems that support donation and transplantation. With this in mind, the EDQM organised a webinar for the tissue donation and...
FREE Webinar Tissue donation from deceased donors during the COVID-19 pandemic 28 April 2020
Webinar : Tissue donation from deceased donors during the COVID-19 pandemic, 28 April 2020, 3 pm – 5.30 pm (CEST) The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare is pleased to invite you to a webinar to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting national programmes for...
EDQM website search engine deactivated
The EDQM regrets to inform its users that the search engine on its website has been deactivated and is currently unavailable for technical reasons. We are aware of this recurring issue and are working on a long-term solution. We therefore request that our users refrain from contacting the EDQM...
EDQM launches a new HelpDesk
As part of its efforts to improve customer service, the EDQM has developed a streamlined version of its HelpDesk and FAQs platform. The new HelpDesk was redesigned on the basis of feedback received from users and now benefits from a more intuitive interface, which is expected to enhance customer...
Just released: Newsletter Transplant 2019
The EDQM/Council of Europe publishes Newsletter Transplant, which gives data on organ, tissue and cell donation and transplantation at the European and international levels. This work is co-ordinated by the Spanish National Transplant Organisation (ONT), which analyses the data collected through...
New Guide to the quality and safety of tissues and cells for human application
The EDQM has just released the new edition of its Guide to the quality and safety of tissues and cells for human application. This 4th edition provides healthcare professionals with an extensive overview of the most recent advances in the field, as well as technical guidance to ensure the quality...