Greens parliamentarian Ricarda Lang is calling for an opt-out system for organ donation. She acknowledged that a large number of people in Germany support organ donation, stating this in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” (Wednesday edition). However, she pointed out that the actual number of registrations in the donor register remains very low.
Lang suggested that this low uptake is understandable, noting, “Who wants to deal with their own death?” She argues that the opt-out model-where all adults are registered by default unless they explicitly object-is the solution. While insisting that “no one should be forced to become a donor against their will,” she also stated that adults should be expected to make an informed and conscious decision at least once in their lives, because “other lives depend on it in the end.”
Former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also advocates for moving towards an opt-out system. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post,” he mentioned that the nearly 90 percent consent rate among registered individuals demonstrates a high willingness to donate in Germany, but cautioned that these organs are often lost because the willingness is not realized.
Instead of the current consent-based system, which requires individuals to actively register as donors, the SPD politician proposes the opt-out method. Lauterbach explained that by allowing people who do not wish to donate to register clearly and unambiguously, they are protected from becoming donors accidentally. Regarding claims from opponents that an opt-out system might be deterring, Lauterbach countered that he has not encountered this argument in any other country, adding that the situation could not be any worse than it is now.
The current annual report of the organ donation register shows that as of February 2026, approximately 570,000 declarations have been entered, with about 90 percent agreeing to at least a partial donation of organs or tissue.
