Here in the USA, gas pumps say "May contain up to 10% ethanol". When I've tested the highest octane from the station we get it at work, it's been non-ethanol every time. I parked all 3 of my riders in October without treating the fuel (Guzzi Stone Touring, Lemans, and Yamaha SR500). All started and ran well on their first ride last week. Normally I fill the tanks and treat the fuel with stabilizer, but for reasons I don't recall (lazy?) I didn't this year. My wood splitter, generator and snow blower sit idle for months at a time and never fail to start. Newer BMWs, on the other hand, don't do so well. My guess is that is due to the more modern fuel efficient injectors (much smaller orifices for better atomization).
Don't know about other countries, but the US decided a couple years ago that they could stretch the gas supply by changing the standards, so they increased the temperature at which components must volatilize. I believe that is more of a problem than the ethanol. The crap I've seen in intake tracts and injectors is pretty awful, though a regular dose of fuel system cleaner seems to help. The main problem I've see with ethanol is rotting rubber (fuel lines on stationary engines).
