Table 3.
Comparison of EU laws in the field of MAR and HER.
| Country | Eligibility criteria to access MAR | Type of fecundation | PGD | Gender selection | Destination of surplus embryos and gametes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homologous | Heterologous | Surrogacy | Donation | Cryopreservation | Postmortem fecundation | Research on surplus embryos | ||||
| Austria | Married or stable couples | Yes | No | No | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined | Forbidden | Forbidden |
| Belgium | No restrictions | Yes | Yes | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed(d) | Allowed(e) | Allowed(g) |
| Bulgaria | Couples/single women | Yes | Yes | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Croatia | Couples/single women | Yes | Yes | No | Undefined | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed(d) | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Cyprus | Married couples | Yes | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Czech Republic | Married couples | Yes | No | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Denmark | Couples/single women | Yes | Yes | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed(d) | Forbidden | Allowed(g) |
| Estonia | Couples/single women | Yes | Yes | No | Undefined | Undefined | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Finland | Couples/single women | Yes | Yes | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed(g) |
| France | Married or stable couples | Yes | Yes(a) | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Germany | Married or stable couples | Yes | Yes(a) | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Forbidden |
| Greece | Women up to 50 years old | Yes | Yes | Yes | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed(d) | Allowed(e) | Allowed(g) |
| Hungary | Couple/single women | Yes | Yes | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed(g) |
| Ireland | No specific legislation | UN | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Allowed | Undefined | Forbidden | Forbidden |
| Italy | Married or stable couples | Yes | Yes | No | Forbidden | Forbidden | Forbidden | Allowed | Forbidden | Forbidden |
| Latvia | Couples/Single women | Yes | Yes | No | Undefined | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Lithuania | Undefined | UN | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Luxembourg | Undefined | UN | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Malta | Undefined | UN | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Netherlands | Undefined | UN | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Poland | Undefined | UN | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Portugal | Married or stable couples | Yes | No | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Romania | Married or stable couples | Yes | Yes(a) | No | Undefined | Undefined | Allowed | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Slovakia | Married or stable couples | Yes | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Forbidden | Undefined |
| Slovenia | Married or stable couples | Yes | UN | UN | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Allowed | Forbidden | Allowed |
| Spain | No restrictions | Yes | Yes | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed(f) | Allowed(g) |
| Sweden | Married or stable couples | Yes | Yes(a) | No | Allowed(b) | Allowed(c) | Allowed | Allowed(d) | Forbidden | Allowed(g) |
| UK | Couples/single women | Yes | Yes | Yes | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed(g) |
(a): with restrictions; (b): in order to avoid genetic disease; (c): in order to avoid sex-linked disease; (d): up to 5 years; (e): between 6 months and 2 years after the donor's death; (f): up to 12 months after the donor's death; (g): allowed on embryos up to 14 days; UN: undefined.