Focus meeting with ICF 

ICF, the external consulting firm of the European Commission, following the analysis of the data emerged from the stakeholder submissions from ART stakeholders, proposed to organize a focus group with a limited number of ART experts. This was done with the aim of addressing some specific gaps in their evidence gathering work for the European Commission evaluation.

17th November, 10 people, ART only issues regarding the EUTCD;
Stakeholders present (ESHRE, Fertility Europe, Cryos Sperm Bank, Agence de la Biomédicine, HFEA, CA Denmark)

• Relevance (Scope, Definitions, requirements…..)
• Effectiveness (1. Donor protection, Follow-up, Testing, Introducing new methods, reporting 2. Barriers to implementation?)
• Efficiency (Benefits and burdens of new legislation)
• Coherence (inconsistencies with other existing legislation)
• Added value of EU legislation?
  
  

Summary

• Mainly, the EUTCDs have improved safety and quality for the handling of cells and tissues (lab quality, traceability, QMS)
• More needs to be done for donors and offspring (follow-up, registries, traceability for cross-border travels and shipping)
• Reporting of all treatment should be mandatory
• EUTCD should be more gender-neutral (now focused hetero-sexual couples)
• Inspections need to be improved and harmonized. Inspectors must be competent in ART issues.
• Costs!