A renewed debate concerning organ donation consent has emerged within the German Bundestag. A cross-party group, led by SPD deputy Sabine Dittmar, introduced a draft law requiring that all adults in Germany are presumed to be donors unless they explicitly object. The group includes politicians from various parties, such as the Greens’ Armin Grau, the CDU’s Gitta Connemann, the CSU’s Peter Aumer, and the Left’s Julia-Christina Stange.
During a session in Berlin, Dittmar explained that this opt-out system is already standard practice in many European nations. She argued that the shift would eliminate the need for the majority of people to actively consent to donation. Instead, she stated, the law would require those who wish to refuse donation to make an active statement against it.
Currently, Germany operates under an extended consent law, meaning organs can only be taken with express permission. If no declaration exists, medical staff consult the assumed will of the deceased’s relatives. Deputies pointed to the persistent issue of low donation figures and the resulting long waiting lists for seriously ill patients as key motivations for the change. This revised approach has also received support from major medical institutions, including the German Transplantation Society and the Federal Council.
The proposal also garners support from figures like Kirsten Kappert-Gonther, Lars Castellucci, and Stephan Pilsinger. However, opposition remains vocal. Kappert-Gonther has criticized the opt-out rule, calling it a mere facade that raises significant ethical questions. She argues that there is no international proof that such a system genuinely increases donation rates. Instead, she advocates for improving donation numbers through better hospital infrastructure, education, transparent procedures, and simpler documentation, insisting that silence does not equate to consent and that self-determination includes the right not to make a decision.
Despite the objections, Mario Schiffer, President of the German Transplantation Society, sees the opt-out model as a long-overdue and necessary step, asserting that it has the potential to structurally increase the number of organs donated in Germany.