With a nearly unanimous vote (653 for, 14 against, 16 abstentions), the European Parliament approved the report of the Cypriot MEP Adamos Adamou about the need to increase the availability of organs for transplant, improve their accessibility and safety, and raise public awareness of organ donation. Adamou said that "in the EU 60 thousand people are waiting for transplant" and "10 people die every day" before they can receive such transplant. "We all said the MEP must be willing to donate our organs". The report asks the European Union to establish a "European donors’ charter", "prevent transplant tourism" and "strengthen the fight against illegal trade by punishing offenders". Also today the European Parliament, by voting for the 2006 balance sheet (the so-called "defence"), tackled the broader issue of the use of EU funds, highlighting "the progress made towards a more effective use of such funds", while also insisting on more transparency so as to avoid waste and frauds against the EU budget.
