Cologne Fertility Fair: Partial Victory Against Surrogacy Advertising

<p>The Cologne fertility fair <strong>"Wish for a Baby"</strong> has been criticized for years: despite the ban on surrogacy in Germany, exhibitors openly advertise such services. Now the association <strong>Frauenheldinnen e.V.</strong> has achieved an initial partial victory in court – the city of Cologne announced that it will exclude an agency from the fair.</p>

<h2>Legal Pressure on Organizers</h2> <p>Frauenheldinnen had already submitted a formal request to the city of Cologne prior to the fair to impose enforceable conditions on the event. The goal was to prevent the mediation and initiation of surrogacy on the fairgrounds. In case of rejection, the association announced a preventive declaratory action at the Cologne Administrative Court. In parallel, according to their own statements, <strong>criminal charges</strong> were filed and a lawyer was hired.</p> <p>"Surrogacy is illegal and punishable in Germany – yet at the Cologne fair it is still initiated, mediated and advertised domestically," the association stated. As evidence, the activists cited minutes from previous fair visits, according to which surrogacy packages were offered there <strong>between 35,000 and 75,000 euros</strong>.</p>

<h2>British Organizer with Controversial Code of Conduct</h2> <p>The fair is organized by the British company <strong>FiveSensesMedia</strong>. Particularly striking: the "Code of Conduct" that all exhibitors must sign explicitly allows contact initiation with potential buyers of a child. The website, program and exhibitor list of the fair clearly speak for themselves according to critics. "You can browse catalogs of surrogate mothers, get cost estimates and also clarify how to proceed legally to have the child recognized in Germany. It's pure advertising for surrogacy," say the critics.</p>

<h2>Protest in Red Robes at the Sartory Halls</h2> <p>At the gates of the Sartory Halls, the venue of the fair, activists from several organizations demonstrated again. In addition to Frauenheldinnen, the initiatives "Let Women Speak" and "Just Gay Germany" also participated – dressed in red robes, inspired by Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale". Eva Engelken of Frauenheldinnen drew a combative conclusion: "We didn't manage to get the fair banned this year. But maybe next year!"</p> <p>The now achieved exclusion of an agency by the city of Cologne is assessed by the organizers of the protest themselves as a limited success – a "drop in the bucket," as reports state, given the multitude of international exhibitors still present at the fair.</p>

<h2>Political Dimension: Debate Over Prominent Figures Escalates Conflict</h2> <p>Additional social relevance is given to the issue through a current political debate. The Frauenheldinnen association accuses parts of the CDU of double standards: CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn and Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrik Streeck became fathers themselves via a surrogate mother in the United States – and simultaneously uphold their party's ban, according to the association. This was expressly reaffirmed at the CDU party convention in February 2026 in Stuttgart at the request of the Women's Union.</p> <p>This discrepancy between political stance and personal practice, according to observers, further fuels the public debate and gives renewed attention to the protest against the Cologne fair.</p>

<h2>Outlook: Fair Relocates to Berlin</h2> <p>Despite the partial legal victory in Cologne, the issue is far from settled for women's rights activists. The next edition of "Wish for a Baby" is already planned for spring 2026 in Berlin. It can be assumed that the association and its supporters will continue legal action and public protest there as well to counter what they view as unlawful promotion of surrogacy.</p> <p>For the fair industry, the case raises fundamental questions: how far does the responsibility of organizers and municipalities extend when exhibitors touch on legal gray areas or clear prohibitions? The Cologne case is likely to be discussed as a precedent for the regulation of controversial fair formats beyond the specific issue of surrogacy.</p>