Switzerland votes for new rules on organ donation

Enlarge image

National Councilor Flavia Wasserfallen (middle) rejoices: A large majority votes for a renewal of the organ donation law

Photo: Peter Klaunzer / dpa

There are many seriously ill patients who need a donor organ, but there are only a few organs: that is about to change in Switzerland.

In the future, every person will be considered a potential organ donor who has not explicitly rejected this during their lifetime.

The government wants to change the transplant law accordingly and received 60.2 percent approval in the referendum on Sunday.

So far, in Switzerland as in Germany, the consent solution has been used instead of the objection solution: organs may only be removed from people who have agreed to do so, for example with an organ donor card or an entry in an online register.

Government wants to counter shortage of donor organs

The objection solution already applies in numerous European countries, including France, Ireland, Italy, Austria and Spain.

The government in Switzerland is now hoping to remedy the shortage of donor organs.

Opponents of the new regulation had argued that the opt-out solution was unethical.

They increase the pressure on people who don't want to donate organs.

The other national proposals also received approval in the referendum: According to the projections, 72 percent approved a financial and personnel increase in the Swiss contribution to the controversial European agency for the border and coast guard Frontex.

(Read more about it here.)

In addition, streaming services and foreign television stations with Swiss advertising windows will in future have to invest four percent of their Swiss sales in Swiss productions.

According to the extrapolation, approval for this was 58 percent.

18 million Swiss francs are to be brought in for domestic filmmaking.

In addition, streaming services will have to offer 30 percent European films or series in the future.

A similar quota has long applied to television stations.

ani/dpa