The European Union Blood Safety Directive and its implications for blood services.

The European Union Blood Safety Directives have been in development since 2002 and are now in the process of being fully implemented in 27 member states. This review provides the background to their development, their scope and content. Aspects of pan-European implementation are discussed, together with specific problems encountered to date. Meetings and discussions of the competent authorities with the commission are reported, together with an updated review of 'where do we go from here'.