According to the new law, all Dutch citizens will become organ donors, unless they individually declare themselves

Dutch citizens will soon receive letters from state institutions in which they will be asked if they want to be placed on the organ donation list. Those who do not respond twice will automatically be added to the list of donors, since the Netherlands has passed a new donor law

On Tuesday, the Dutch Senate voted in favor of a law that would consider all citizens over 18 years of age as potential donors of the body, unless the person explicitly declares his disagreement. The new law narrowly passed to the upper house of parliament from 38 to 36 votes. The law has already received a green light with a majority of votes of one vote more than a year ago in the House of Representatives. Known as the Active Donor Register (ADR), the new system will come into force in the summer of 2020, when residents of the Netherlands will have to declare themselves.

Those who are not yet registered as donors will receive a letter that will invite them to choose between four options: yes, no, my closest cousin will decide, or a specific person will decide. In case there is no answer, the second letter will come again in six weeks. If a person does not respond to another letter, it will be "no objection" added to the register of the donor of the authority. Even if a person gives consent, their relatives will still have the final answer as to whether they agree with the wishes of the deceased.

Citizens will also be able to change their response at any time, as often as they would like and decide whether to donate their organs or not. According to Dijkstra, the new law will encourage people to make a conscious choice, freeing their families from difficult decisions at the time of sorrow. About 60 percent of the Dutch population has not yet registered, potentially putting burdens on relatives, who often refuse the donation.

The Dutch kidney treasury welcomed the vote, calling it "a great hope for patients on the waiting list for organs". Thanks to the law, "hundreds of patients will return to life and freedom," said Thomas Oostrom, the director of the Foundation.

• 15 Feb, 2018
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