This Summary report illustrates that the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs have implemented such Convention to a high degree in some areas. This study, which is not a monitoring exercise, provides support to the Parties in indicating areas where implementation has been achieved substantially, or where further work may be required.

The substantive Criminal Law provisions of the Convention (Articles 4-13) are underpinned by definitions (Articles 2 and 4) which, in both areas have been implemented to a high degree. The Summary report covers the general legal framework and alignment of the Convention, Prosecution of perpetrators of trafficking in human organs, and Prevention of and combating against trafficking in human organs.

The Santiago de Compostela Convention has been designed to comprehensively deal through criminal law with threats created by trafficking in human organs. Unless the challenges in identifying the potential instances of this crime are planned and prepared for, the value of the Convention provisions will be weakened. To this end, the report points out that Parties may focus on the development of strategies, plans and other measures beyond the implementation of laws even where no instances of trafficking in human organs have been detected by some Parties.

This study outlines in Chapter 2 the general horizontal issues that are reported by a number of the Parties in their responses to the questionnaire. There follows the study recommendations and conclusions.