28/08/2020 (Agence Europe) – European industrial ethanol (iEthanol) producers have expressed concern to the European Commission about the inadequacy of the European Union’s customs nomenclature control tools for the production and trade of high-grade ethanol in a statement issued on Thursday 27 August. In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, the lack of such devices has contributed to the shortage of high-grade ethanol needed for hand sanitisers and hospital disinfectants in several Member States, iEthanol explains. The organisation notes that several EU Member States have circumvented established biocide quality rules for hand sanitisers and surface disinfectants by allowing the temporary use of low-grade biofuel ethanol. Therefore, the organisation proposes drawing inspiration from the American customs nomenclature to better differentiate between the different types of ethanol. (PH)