NL - Nisa Laburisti today submitted 10 recommendations to the ‎Inter-Ministerial IVF Review Working Committee set up and made up of professionals from the Ministry of Energy and Health, the Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties and the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government.

Claudette Abela Baldacchino President NL - Nisa Laburisti said that the recommendations were submitted following the announcement by the Government that it was looking forward to evaluate the current IVF legislation within the context of outcomes of current regulations, new local legislation involving various sectors of the Maltese community as well as recent judgments of the European Court Of Human Rights.

The Inter-Ministerial IVF  Review Working Committee meetings were held with interested stakeholders in order to give them an opportunity to give their comments and suggestions about the current IVF law (Embryo Protection Act) in Malta and any amendments they feel should be introduced.  

The following are the submissions by NL - Nisa Laburisti:

1. Change in name of present act as current name does not do justice with the key subject i.e. fertility treatment.
2. No legal restrictions on age.  The NHS may bring in age restrictions as it deems fit for the services offered by the state, but that does not require a legal barrier.
3. The need for the availability of Frozen Embryos (amongst other factors this option will bring the opportunity to transfer frozen embryos from previous cycles without the need for the woman to go through a treatment cycle again).  
4. For those who prefer to freeze the ova, this option already exists and should remain for those who would want to avail themselves of this.
5. Ova and sperm donation should be available for all, but no one should be obliged to donate (neither ova, nor sperm, nor embryos)
6. Since as a country we are insular, consideration should be given to the possibility of exchange of ova and sperm donation with foreign banks if necessary
7. Ova and sperm donors are to be anonymous (anonymity).
8. However in the case of a known donor, law to then regulate how donor is included in parenting or otherwise.
9. Following cycles, if embryos are not viable, the persons involved (couples, single) are to decide on their future.
10. Explore the possibility of surrogacy (There should be limitation on commercial surrogacy).

Statistics produced lately by government shows that in the last 30 months, (January 2013 – June 2015), 411 in-vitro fertilization (IVF) / intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles have been carried out in Malta, 81 cycles of which have been carried out in the new IVF clinic within Mater Dei Hospital since starting its operations in January 2015. In total, 116 viable pregnancies have resulted from these cycles – an overall success rate of 28% which compares well to the latest figure published by the UK Human Fertilization & Embryo Authority (HFEA) – 25% in 2011.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna issued a brief reaction on his Twitter account, saying: "We respect a woman's womb as quasi sacred. Let us not turn it into another commodity whether for free or for money.”