18. Is there:
a. any public discussion about the topic Yes
b. planning of new regulation at national level Yes
19. Please specify any additional relevant aspects which were not mentioned.
Draft proposal on surrogacy from Iceland
Background
- Working Group on Surrogacy appointed in January 2009 by the Health Minister to look into the ethical, legal and medical matters of surrogacy and whether it should be allowed in Iceland. Preliminary report in February 2010 whereby discussion of the matter was encouraged. Open symposium in March 2010. Final report of the Working Group in June 2010 with the conclusion that for the time being surrogacy should not be permitted in Iceland.
- Proposal for a parliamentary resolution in November 2010, put forward by 18 MPs. Content: A Committee should be established to write a bill to allow surrogacy for altruistic purposes. Strict rules should be put down for the arrangement and the surrogate and the expected parents should make a binding agreement. The parliament session ended before the discussion about the resolution was finished.
- Proposal for a parliamentary resolution in October 2011 put forward by 23 MPs. Content: A Committee should be established to write a bill to allow surrogacy for altruistic purposes. Emphasis should be put on guaranteeing first, the interests and rights of the child, second, the rights, self-determination and well-being of the surrogate and her family, and third, successful participation of the intended parents. Approved on 18 January 2012.
- In September 2012 the Working Group on Surrogacy was established and is expected to deliver a bill to the Health Minister no later than in January 2015.
- Preliminary consultation process during autumn 2013.
- In January 2014 the Minister of Health presented an interim report to the Althingi on the status of the work.
- The Working Group has invited relevant specialist to its meetings, among others Karen Busby, professor at University of Manitoba.
- The Working group presented the bill to the Minister in February 2015.
- The bill now awaits to be discussed in Althingi.
Main elements of the proposed Icelandic legislation on Altruistic Surrogacy
- New definition of the surrogacy term : Surrogacy is when an embryo with gametes of at least one of the intended parents is, after an IVF treatment, planted in the uterus of the surrogate, which has for altruistic purposes agreed to carry a child for certain intended parents, according to a licence issued by the Committee on Surrogacy, and intends to hand the child to the intended parents after its delivery and the intended parents have committed themselves to apply for the transfer of parental status according the Act in Respect of Children.
- A special Committee on Surrogacy will be established. Its task will be to issue licences for surrogacy and to ensure that all parties will have professional counselling given by experts.
- Interests of the child are emphasised. Surrogate licence cannot be issued unless the child to be conceived by the procedure may be deemed to be ensured good conditions in which to grow up, taken into consideration the mental and physical health of the surrogate, her spouse and the intended parents, their social circumstances and their financial standing.
- Surrogate conditions:
- Consent (and her spouse, if she has one)
- Legally domiciled and resided continuously and lawfully in Iceland for the preceding five years and has permission for permanent residency.
- Of the age 25-39.
- In good health, mentally and physically
- Should have had a least one child and that the pregnancy and birth was normal. Her child should be older than two years old.
- The surrogate and her spouse are not closely related (sister, brother, mother) to the intended parent who supplies the gamete.
- Intended parents should be married or cohabiting, having lived together for at least 3 years. Allowed for heterosexual and homosexual couples which fulfil these conditions. In particular circumstances single men or women can get licence for surrogacy if there is no doubt that the interest of the child will be ensured.
- Intended parents conditions:
- Consent and commitment to apply for the transfer of parental status after the birth of the child.
- Legally domiciled and resided continuously and lawfully in Iceland for the preceding five years and have permission for permanent residency.
- Of the age 25-45.
- Do not have children under the age of 2.
- Neither of them can undergo pregnancy and birth of a child on medical grounds or biological reasons excludes pregnancy.
- It will not be permitted to use the surrogate’s ova. It will be obligated to use gametes from at least one intended parents.
- The process will be as follows:
- The intended parents and the surrogate apply together for a surrogacy-licence to the Committee on Surrogacy and deliver relevant documents (general information on the applicants, their health, housing situation, financial situation, the ability to ensure good conditions in which the child is to grow up in, certificate of marital status/certificate of cohabitation and consent for allowing the Committee to access information from criminal records and Child Protection Committee).
- The Committee on Surrogacy will get the opinion of a healthcare facility which has a licence from the Minister to perform artificial fertilisation (currently one clinic in Iceland).
- Applicants receive information and counselling on the treatment and the medical, legal, ethical, social and other implications which surrogacy could entail.
- After receiving counselling and before the surrogacy-license is issued the applicants will agree upon mutual declaration of understanding on the communication during pregnancy, the attendance of the intended parents at the delivery, the arrangement of giving the child to the intended parents after the birth, the care of the child before the transfer of parental status is done and other matters.
- The evaluation of the Committee on Surrogacy. Surrogacy-licences granted or refused. The refusal can be appealed to the Ministry of Welfare (the Minister of Health).
- IVF treatment is performed at a relevant healthcare facility. The Surrogate carries the child and gives birth. The surrogate is considered as the mother of the child according the Act in Respect of Children and her spouse is considered to be the father of the child.
- If agreed upon in the mutual declaration the child will be in the care of the intended parents after birth. The surrogate and her spouse have full custody of the child until the transfer of parental status, unless other arrangement has been made according the Act in Respect of Children.
- Transfer of Parental Status takes place at the District Commissioner (sýslumaður) two months after the birth of the child according to amendments to the Act in Respect of Children thereof. Upon Transfer of Parental Status the child acquires the legal status in regard to the intended parents and their relatives as if he or she was the child of the intended parents. As of the same time the pre-existing relationship between the child and the surrogate and her spouse and other relatives is terminated.
- The draft proposal contains amendments to the Act in Respect of Children to handle the different circumstances that could come up, for example death or divorce of the intended parents or the surrogate and her spouse. Problematic circumstances and situations where one of the parties involved refuses to give consent will have to be taken to court according to a new chapter in the Act in Respect of Children.
- The intended parents have to apply together for the transfer of parental status. If one of the intended parents does not apply for the transfer of parental status the other intended parent can take the matter to court. If both of the intended parents do not apply for the transfer of parental status the parents (i.e. surrogate and her spouse) can take the matter to court.
- If one of the intended parents dies before the transfer of parental status, a special guardian will be appointed to the child to apply for the transfer together with the surviving intended parent. If both of the intended parents die the parents (i.e. surrogate and her spouse) can apply for a transfer of parental status. In these cases a special guardian will be appointed for the child to apply together with the parents for the transfer of parental status and to look after the child’s interests.
- The parents’ consent, i.e. the surrogate and her spouse, is of essence and the District Commissioner (sýslumaður) cannot transfer the child’s parental status without the parents’ consent. The consent is not valid unless it is confirmed two months after the birth of the child. If one parent cannot give consent (died or missing) it is enough for the other parent to give its consent. If both parents are deceased or missing the consent of the special guardian of the child is needed along with the consent of the person who has the custody of the child (normally the Child Protection Committee).
- Transfer of parental status is valid from the approval of the District Commissioner with legal implications from the child’s birth. The District Commission sends Registers Iceland (handles the public registry) information about the child’s transfer of parental status.
- If parents or special guardian of the child refuse to give consent for the transfer of parental status, or the District Commissioner is of the opinion that the transfer is contrary to the child’s interest, the matter has to be taken to court.
- The intended parents are obligated to inform their child it was born with the help of a surrogate before it is six years old. When a child has reached 16 it can ask for the information on the surrogacy arrangement, among other things where the gametes came from and the name of the gametes donor.
- Commercial surrogacy will be prohibited. Nevertheless, intended parents are allowed to reimburse the surrogate for expenses which are directly linked to the IVF treatment, pregnancy or the birth of the child. These expenses are for example health services (patients cost), medication (patient cost), travel expenses and maternity clothes.
- The legislative proposal suggests prohibition of advertisements on surrogacy of any kind. Intermediation on surrogacy will also be prohibited.
- It will be prohibited to seek or exploit surrogacy in other states which does not fulfil the conditions of the legislation. Since the bill allows surrogacy for altruistic purposes it is clear that foreign judgements and decisions on transfer of parental status after surrogacy in altruistic circumstances does not contradict ordre public and should therefore be recognised in Iceland.
- It is suggested that the Minister will evaluate the legislation and how it has been executed and put a report before Althingi no later than in the Spring of 2021. If the report suggests the Act should be revised then it should be done.
- The proposal for a legislation includes amendments to other acts (most of them being consequence amendments):
- Act on Artificial Fertilisation. Donor anonymity prohibited.
- Act in Respect of Children.
- Act on Maternity and Paternity Leave. The surrogate will get 2 months maternity leave and the intended parents will get normal leave (3 months for the mother + 3 months for the father + 3 months joint leave).
- Act on Public Registry.
- Personal Names Act.
- Inheritance Act.
- Icelandic Citizenship Act.