European Donation Day 2025 Promotes Organ, Tissue, and Cell Donation

1 / 2 18 September 2025, Strasbourg, France European Donation Day 2025 – Celebrating life-saving organ, tissue and cell donation The European Day for Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation – more widely known as European Donation Day (EDD) – is an international initiative aimed at promoting ethical, voluntary and altruistic donations and honouring donors and their families. Organised every year on the second Saturday of October by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), a part of the Council of Europe, it also sends a message of thanks and support to the healthcare professionals who save and improve lives by making donation and transplantation a reality. EDD will take place on Saturday, 11 October this year, reminding us not only that behind every statistic is a human being, a family and a community transformed by the gift of life, but that we can all make a real difference and be part of the solution. Why is this important? European Donation Day highlights a pressing public health challenge – the critical shortage of transplantable organs, tissue and cells amid rising numbers of patients on transplantation waiting lists – while celebrating one of the most powerful acts of solidarity and humanity: organ, tissue and cell donation. Because donated organs, tissue and cells are so unique, thousands of people across Europe are waiting, hoping for a life-changing or even life-saving treatment. Spectacular advances in medicine in recent decades have improved patient outcomes significantly, but cannot overcome shortages. Donations – the sole source of these vital resources – may even help create life through the gift of gametes or embryo. Behind every successful treatment, there is a donor – and a story that deserves to be told. Petra Doerr, the EDQM Director: “In a world shaken by war, division, uncertainty and fear the act of donation stands as a quiet yet powerful declaration of love, unity and hope. Giving life through organ, tissue and cell donation is the ultimate expression of human solidarity – where one person’s generosity becomes another’s second chance.” She calls upon everyone to honour those who choose kindness over cruelty and life over loss in the spirit of the European Donation Day: “Their courage reminds us that even in troubled times, compassion can prevail.” Spread the message Public awareness is a key factor in increasing donations and saving and improving lives. Sharing these stories can inspire potential donors and drive real change. Relating personal stories of recipients and donor families contributes to achieving the goals of EDD, as do informing media audiences of how European donation systems work and the crucial role of trust, ethics and safety, underpinned by EDQM standards. Potential donors of all ages and all generations need to hear this message not only to promote donation as a selfless gift and build a culture of generosity, but also to normalise what may otherwise be a sensitive topic for some and facilitate important conversations. Media coverage of organ, tissue and cell donation in the context of European Donation Day also contributes to a broader movement – one that promotes health equity, trust in healthcare systems and cross-border co-operation. The EDQM can facilitate expert interviews, data and background information to support media coverage. Our media kit is a good starting point.

2 / 2 Greece, hosting EDD in 2025 In 2025, EDD will be hosted by Greece, with events organised in Kalamata in co-operation with the Hellenic Transplant Organization. A meeting of the European Committee on Organ Transplantation (CD-P-TO), the steering committee in charge of organ transplantation activities at the EDQM, will take place on 9 and 10 October in Kalamata, along with local awareness campaigns and public engagement activities. A scientific conference is also scheduled there for 11 October, which will focus on the global and national transplantation landscape, the transplantation situation in Greece, ethical perspectives and donor–recipient stories, and strategies to increase awareness and participation. In both Kalamata and Athens, chosen landmarks will be illuminated in green – the EDD colour. Contact: Evangelos Tasopoulos, Communications and Events Division, EDQM, Council of Europe Tel.: +33 (0)3 90 21 53 90 – E-mail: evangelos.tasopoulos@edqm.eu Note for the Editor: Further information is available on the internet site www.edqm.eu. The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM) is a structural part of the Council of Europe. It traces its origins in the statute to the Convention on the Elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia, opened for signature in 1964. Today, 39 member states of the Council of Europe have ratified the convention and more than 30 countries from all over the world participate in the EDQM activities as observers. The EDQM promotes and protects human and animal health by developing standards and supporting their implementation. It is active in four major policy areas: medicines, pharmaceutical care, substances of human origin and consumer health. EDQM staff represent almost 30 different nationalities and its work is supported by a network of nearly 2 000experts from all over the world. An international organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law continent-wide. It also develops common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 46 member states.