Quality and Safety of the National Blood Supply: A Priority for Action – Subregional Overview Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro

Blood transfusion services across Europe show varying levels of development, financing, and support. The region, however, shares common characteristics, such as epidemiological background, a decreasing number of blood donations, and increasingly sophisticated technologies of testing and therapeutic procedures. Furthermore, the constantly enlarging EU and the requirements of dedicated directives demand that increased attention be given by member states to the harmonization of blood transfusion practices and safety standards. The current review of blood services in selected countries (EU accession, pre- and pro-accession status) shows that blood safety is a recognized political priority and that important efforts have been initiated to update legislation and to restructure services on a national basis within the health system‘s framework.