Germany's Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has called for the legalization of egg donation, saying the current ban is pushing couples seeking fertility treatment abroad. Warken is now pushing for a regulated domestic framework that keeps clear boundaries while helping couples conceive at home.
Egg donation involves transferring an egg from one woman to another woman who wishes to have a child. The practice is currently not permitted in Germany due to the risks for donors and because, in the view of some, it results in a child having two biological mothers.
Egg donation is currently prohibited in Germany. The ban exists due to the health risks posed to donors and concerns that a child born through the practice would have two biological mothers. As a result, many couples with a desire to have children are going abroad for treatment.
Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) wants to change that. "Many couples who want to have children are currently going abroad," Warken told the Tagesspiegel newspaper in its Friday edition. "I want us to help these couples who want to have children here, in a regulated framework, while maintaining clear boundaries."
Warken's proposal is narrow in scope. She is focusing specifically on eggs that are already available following fertility treatment, rather than pushing for broad access. "If eggs are already present after fertility treatment, these could be released for donation without having to extract new ones specifically," she emphasized. The minister was clear this was not a push for sweeping reform. "It is not about throwing all doors wide open," she said, describing her position as "rather restrictive."
Warken has announced she will consult with Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) and Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) on the potential legalization of egg donation in Germany. "We will then enter into discussions with the coalition parliamentary groups and see whether there will be a proposal on this from the center of parliament, as is customary with ethical issues," the minister explained.
Warken also chairs the Frauen-Union, the CDU's women's association, which has already formally backed the legalization of egg donation. The current coalition agreement contains no provisions on the issue. In 2024, a commission appointed by the then-governing Ampel coalition recommended legalizing egg donation under certain conditions.
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