Belgian law concerning medically assisted procreation (MAP) and use of gametes and supernumerary embryos was adopted in 2007 and entered into force at the end of July 2007. It has only a limited impact on routine clinical practice, but dramatically limits the number of pregnancies that can be achieved by gamete donation. In Belgium, sperm donation is theoretically anonymous, but anonymity is not mandatory: when the donor and recipient attend the clinic together, request direct donation and sign an agreement, this procedure is acceptable. Sperm donation is free but it is permitted to provide reasonable compensation to the donor for any expenses and loss of income. Ooocyte donation is also free and theoretically anonymous, but directed (non-anonymous) donation is not prohibited when all parties sign an agreement. In this case, the donor and recipient attend the clinic together. It is also permitted to provide compensation to the donor, but no agreement has been reached concerning the acceptable amount. By taking into account the need for treatment, it would be reasonable to provide for 10 to 15 days off work and therefore an equivalent loss of income that could be compensated by 500 to 1000 euros, travel expenses, or even accommodation close to the MAP clinic during this period, which could also represent 500 to 1000 euros. Justified compensation would therefore represent 1000 or even 2000 euros. This amount appeared to be excessive up until now, but opinions tend to change. It is nevertheless true that spontaneous volunteer donors for free and anonymous oocyte donation are rare. Some centres perform donor randomisation to ensure anonymity. Embryo donation is anonymous. Embryos cannot be sold, but the MAP clinic must ensure the health security of these embryos and their management after the 5-year legal storage period, which also has a certain cost.
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