An inter-ministerial working committee is reviewing IVF legislation in the wake of recent judgments by the European Court of Human Rights. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The government should explore the possibility of surrogacy and of freezing embryos, according to recommendations made by Nisa Laburisti.

An inter-ministerial working committee is reviewing IVF legislation in the wake of new laws and recent judgments by the European Court of Human Rights.

Nisa Laburisti suggested that surrogacy should be explored, with a limitation on commercial surrogacy.

It stressed the need for the availability of frozen embryos. This option would enable the transfer of frozen embryos from previous cycles without the need for the woman to go through a treatment cycle again. Following the cycles, if embryos are not viable, the people involved (whether couples or single) would decide on their future.

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

Donors should be anonymous but, in the case of a known donor, the law should regulate how the donor is included in the future

Statistics show that from January 2013 to June 2015), 411 in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were carried out in Malta. A total of 116 viable pregnancies have resulted, an overall success rate of 28 per cent, which compares well to UK figures.

According to the Embryo Protection Act, the freezing of embryos is not allowed. Doctors can only freeze unfertilised ova

Nisa Laburisti asked the government to consider the possibility of exchanging ova and sperm donations with foreign banks in view of Malta’s insularity. Donors should be anonymous but, in the case of a known donor, the law should regulate how the donor is included in the future of the child.

There should be no legal restrictions on age. The national health service could set age restrictions as it deemed fit for the services offered by the State but that did not require a legal barrier, Nisa Laburisti pointed out.