Call for EU-wide fertility rules

Laws on fertility treatment should be standardised across the European Union to deter 'fertility tourism', a leading expert has said.

Professor Paul Devroey said current disparities in rules meant infertile couples often had to travel to get the fertility treatment they wanted.

But he warned this was not always based on good science.

Professor Devroey was speaking a European Society for Human Reproduction and Embyrology meeting in Lyon, France.

He said some countries, including the UK, adopt a liberal, science-based approach to fertility treatments.

However, others, he warned, either dismiss or misuse scientific information.

Professor Devroey, chairman of ESHRE, warned such an approach could increase the risk to the mother and the child.

For example, embryo freezing is not permitted in Italy and so it is mandatory to put three fertilised eggs back into a woman. This increases the risk of multiple pregnancy.

And in Germany genetic screening of embryos is not allowed - because it is viewed as too close to eugenics.

Professor Devroey said the fact that people had to travel to seek treatment was unfair to poorer couples - and often led to poorer treatment.

He is calling for a pan-European think tank to develop a more integrated approach.

(Originally from the BBC, Click here for original)

I think this is an interesting starting point for thinking about the scientific community vs the cultural landscape and how the two will both interconnect and be at odds with the emergence of multi-nation trading blocks. Issues like this one will become more and more important (not that this one isn't)and common in the coming years.