Proposed amendments to Malta's IVF laws are positive but do not go far enough, according to Volt Malta.

The progressive political party believes the law should also be amended to allow for "altruistic surrogacy" - surrogacy that does not involve any form of monetary compensation - and should allow siblings to donate eggs to one another for IVF. 

In a statement, Volt co-president Arnas Lasys said: ‘‘Some persons with a uterus want to get pregnant can’t for various reasons and it’s crucial not to exclude them.’’ 

MPs are currently debating proposed amendments to further widen state-provided IVF services.

The government wants people to be eligible for IVF up till the age of 45 (rather than 42), offer more IVF cycles free of charge, extend IVF to those who already have a child and facilitate egg donations and transfer of embryos from other countries.

Most controversially, it is also seeking to allow genetic testing of IVF embryos before they are planted into the womb, to screen for a small number of rare genetic conditions, such as Huntington's Disease, that the baby might carry and develop when it is born.

That proposal has proven divisive, some lauding the change and others arguing against it. 

Volt favours genetic testing, describing it as a "step forward". 

It however asked why only nine conditions are being tested for, "while for example in the UK over 600 genetic conditions are tested." 

The party also wants better clarity as to what happens to embryos when the couple passes away. 

They propose that, unless a couple opts in for their embryos to continue being stored even when they die, they are to be discarded.

They also propose that a couple may opt-in to an agreement on whether their frozen embryos can be used for surrogacy in the event one of them dies, or if they are to be discarded.

Volt Malta hoped the government will use this opportunity to push for long-term ambitious change.

PGD is a proportional and ethically acceptable measure - ADPD

In another statement later on Tuesday, ADPD the Green Party appealed for discussions about difficult ethical decisions to continue, always in respect of  others’ viewpoints, while acknowledging that ethical pluralism is here to stay.“

All arguments, even those brought forward by conservative elements in our society should be discussed because new technologies will always bring with them new ethical challenges. But at the end of the day it is normal that a mature modern society accepts ethical pluralism,” chairman Carmel Cacopardo said.

He said that access to assisted reproduction should respect and cater for the aspirations of as wide a spectrum of people as possible.

Secretary general Ralph Cassar said pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is used by a very small number of persons who are at risk of transferring serious genetic conditions to their children. These people, he said, have the right to choose not to pass on this suffering to their offspring.

PGD, he said, reduced suffering in a tangible manner and considerably improved the quality of life to those born with the assistance of IVF technology.“

It is, therefore, in our opinion, a proportional and ethically acceptable measure.

While for conservative sections of society PGD for medical reasons may not be seen as acceptable, neither is the alternative ethically acceptable – that is the implantation of cells that will develop and lead to great suffering for a human being in future.

It is a well-known fact that not all embryos formed naturally lead to pregnancy,” he said.