Poonam Sharma
The European Union (EU) latest step towards exploring a ban on ethanol products has created widespread alarm, particularly among nations such as India, where ethanol is crucial to fuel blending, medicine, and industry. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently launched an evaluation that indicated ethanol may pose carcinogenic (cancer-causing) risks—a move that has the potential to transform not only Europe’s regulatory agenda but also worldwide supply chains and India’s green energy aspirations.
As per reports, a working group within ECHA suggested classifying ethanol as a “toxic” chemical based on possible connections with cancer as well as pregnancy complications. A detailed discussion about the review will be held at the Biocidal Products Committee meeting from November 25 to 27, and based on it, the European Commission will make a final decision. Although no official ruling has been made as yet, even the threat of a ban has caused shockwaves among the international chemical and biofuel industries.
India’s Concern: Policy and Market at Stake
India, which has been pushing ethanol blending in petrol as a component of its clean energy policy, would be severely affected if the EU resorts to stringent curbs. The nation’s Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) targets 20% blending by 2025—a goal linked closely to lowering oil imports and minimizing carbon emissions. A European ban could cause export market instability and also question the environmental safety of ethanol, which might impact investor trust in biofuel projects.
Ethanol is more than just a fuel additive; it is a critical ingredient in sanitizers, cosmetics, and cleaning products. After COVID, ethanol-based sanitisers and disinfectants became a global hot seller. In India, its manufacture provided employment to thousands of small and medium-sized industries. Therefore, any global regulation classifying ethanol as dangerous might have a spill-over effect on production and also perceptions worldwide.
Scientific Debate: Risk in Context
Experts in India are calling for a balanced view. Dr. Srinath, an oncologist from Asha Hospitals and Research Centre, Bengaluru, explained that “ethanol-based fuels are not dangerous per se—it varies with the pollutant mix during combustion.” Actually, ethanol decreases some of the toxic emissions present in traditional petrol. The actual danger, he further explained, comes from long-term and excessive exposure, which is more appropriate to heavy alcohol use than to industrial or external application.
The International Association for Soops, Detergents, and Maintenance Products (AISE) also noted that referenced studies by European agencies are mostly on alcohol drinking, rather than on industrial or topical exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO) still classifies ethanol-based hand sanitizer as safe for human consumption, again emphasizing the difference between ingestion and topical application.
A Question of Balance: Health vs. Sustainability
As much as the EU’s reluctance is premised on public health, opponents say such a step could destabilize global trends toward cleaner and renewable fuel. Ethanol is universally accepted as a bridge fuel—a fuel that facilitates transition from fossil fuels to complete green substitutes. India, the third-largest energy user globally, has aggressively invested in the production of ethanol from sugarcane and agricultural residues, making it a means of rural empowerment as well as energy self-reliance.
Such an abrupt regulatory change in Europe could thus undermine not just commerce, but also global sustainability efforts. Ethanol-producing countries such as Brazil and India have already evinced interest in meeting European counterparts with a view to explaining scientific misconceptions and ensuring a risk-based, rather than fear-based, mode of thinking.
Economic Impacts and International Supply Chains
Apart from health and environmental issues, the economic interests are high. Ethanol is an essential export commodity for several developing nations. In India’s cosmetics and perfumery industries, ethanol is a solvent and stabilizer. A European ban would create supply shortages, pushing industries to use costly synthetic alternatives. Experts caution that such alternatives could create new environmental problems of their own, so that replacing ethanol is both expensive and counterproductive.
If imposed, the prohibition would splinter global regulatory norms—one framework for Europe, another for the Americas and Asia—making trade compliance more difficult and costly for global companies.
The Road Ahead
While the EU weighs its decision, policymakers urge science openness and global consultation. The question is not just about one chemical—this is about harmonizing health agendas with sustainability objectives in a connected global economy.
For India, the ethanol controversy is greater than an environmental or public health matter. It represents the larger struggle to reconcile industrial advancement with ecological sustainability. With cooperative research and international discourse, countries can discover a way that protects public health without hindering innovation or energy transformation.
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