Church document questions effects of changes to Embryo Protection Act

Church document questions effects of changes to Embryo Protection Act

Prime minister Joseph Muscat was presented with the Church of Malta's position document entitled Legislation Regulating Assisted Human Procreation at parliament earlier today.

University of Malta Dean of theology, Emmanuel Agius said that the document, written by 22 experts, including in clinical medicine, law, psychology, social policy, family studies, disability studies, philosophy and theology among others, aimed to address the 2012 Embryo Protection act and the importance of public dialogue prior to any changes being made to the document.

"Will the changes safeguard the embryo as much as the current law does?," Agius questioned adding that the document had looked at the current act and its performance so far.

He added that the team had also considered both the intermenesterial discussions and the arguments presented by the European court of human rights on the matter and said that this should not impinge on the local perspective.

"The current method has provided results comparable to international figures," he said,  adding that the document, published on Saturday, concluded that the introduction of embryo freezing in Malta was "unnecessary and unreasonable."

Agius said that under the proposed changes, the number of eggs that can be fertilized will increase to five, and limit the number of implantable embryos to two. He added that the law would also re-introduce embryo freezing, which was banned in 2013, barring some exceptional cases, under the Embryo Protection Act made law by the then Nationalist government. He remarked that the changes to the law would raise questions about what would happen to the number of embryos that aren't ultimately chosen for adoption.

Prime minister Joseph Muscat stressed that the government firmly believed it had a duty to help couples create families.

"Many of the issues raised are valid," he said referring to the document and stressing that the government was in no rush to come to a decision.

"We will listen to various proposals and come up with a final decision," he said adding that all parties involved in the discussion had the best intentions.

Muscat said that the issue was not about the presence of embryo freezing, and that it had to be made clear that this practise was already possible, but what would happen if this practise became more widespread.

"It is necessary to have a public dialogue on the matter to see how we can compromise," he said.

Agius further explained that the document also looked at the idea of surrogacy and the commercialization of the female body as well as the idea of sperm donation.

"The donation of gametes and ova should not be introduced as it removes the concept of responsibility and accountability for offspring, not to mention the identity issues it could caise in children," he said.

"It is important to find a balance between the services given to infertile couples and the rights of the unborn children," he said, adding that the document also made proposals about further research and better statistics in the sector.

Health parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne and justice minister Owen Bonnici were also at the discussion, which continued behind closed doors.