Chemical Regulation Is Accelerating. Is Your Supply Chain Ready?

The regulatory landscape for chemicals in textile and apparel products is not slowing down. The EU recently added two more substances to its Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) Candidate List, and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published a new draft of the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP), identifying 28 substances for closer evaluation over the next three years. At the same time, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT) is expected to take effect later this year, requiring brands to substantiate any environmental claim with verified evidence. 

None of these developments exist in isolation. Together, they point to a clear pattern: expectations around chemical transparency and accountability in the supply chain are increasing, and the pace is picking up. 

For brands and manufacturers, the question is no longer whether regulatory pressure will affect how they manage chemicals. It’s whether they’re set up to respond without disrupting their operations every time something changes. 

What the latest SVHC update means 

On February 4, ECHA added two substances to the SVHC Candidate List: n-hexane and bisphenol AF (including its salts). The Candidate List now contains 253 entries. Some of these entries cover groups of chemicals, so the overall number of affected substances is higher. 

N-hexane is a solvent that can appear in adhesives, coatings, cleaning agents, and certain textile and leather treatment processes. Bisphenol AF belongs to both the bisphenol group and the PFAS family, which makes it subject to particular regulatory attention. It may be used in the manufacture of high-performance polymers and rubber, including cross-linking agents in certain fluoroelastomers. 

When a substance is added to the SVHC Candidate List, it triggers specific obligations under REACH. If an article contains a listed substance above a concentration of 0.1%, suppliers must inform their customers and consumers about safe use. Consumers have the right to request this information, and suppliers must respond within 45 days. Importers and producers must also notify ECHA within six months of the inclusion date if both the concentration and volume thresholds are met. 

For brands and manufacturers in the textile space, SVHC additions are not abstract regulatory events. They can directly affect material sourcing decisions, disclosure obligations, and market access. 

What CoRAP signals about what’s coming next 

While the SVHC Candidate List tracks substances that have already been formally identified as high concern, CoRAP operates one step earlier in the process. 

Each year, ECHA publishes the Community Rolling Action Plan, which identifies substances that EU member states will evaluate more closely because of potential risks to human health or the environment. Inclusion on the CoRAP list does not mean a substance is banned or restricted. It means regulators have flagged it for further study based on hazard information, exposure potential, and registered volumes. 

The draft CoRAP for 2026 to 2028 includes 28 substances, with 8 new additions. Among them are substances used across a range of industrial applications, including plastics manufacturing, adhesives, coatings, rubber production, and textile treatment processes. Notably, the list includes benzotriazole-based UV stabilizers (used in plastics), tetramethylthiuram monosulfide (used in rubber production), carbon black (used as a pigment), and betaines commonly found in washing, cleaning, and textile treatment products. 

Once a substance evaluation is completed, the evaluating member state can recommend next steps, which may include proposals for authorization, restriction, or harmonized classification. 

The pattern matters here. Substances that enter CoRAP today may become SVHCs, restrictions, or authorization requirements in the future. Companies that only track confirmed bans and restrictions are managing yesterday’s risk. Companies that monitor the regulatory pipeline can make more informed sourcing and formulation decisions earlier. 

The bigger picture: a pattern, not a one-off 

These two updates are part of a broader shift in how chemicals are regulated in the EU. The SVHC Candidate List has grown steadily since REACH entered into force, and the pace of additions shows no sign of slowing. CoRAP continues to expand its scope. The ECGT, expected to take effect in September 2026, will require brands to back up any environmental or sustainability claim with substantiated, verified evidence. (For a deeper look at how Substances of Concern fit into the broader EU regulatory framework, see our article on what new EU rules mean for the textile industry.) 

Taken together, these developments create a regulatory environment where reactive compliance becomes increasingly expensive and disruptive. Every new SVHC addition can trigger disclosure obligations. Every CoRAP evaluation could lead to a future restriction. And under the ECGT, the data behind any public claim will need to hold up to scrutiny. 

The brands and manufacturers that are best positioned are those that already manage chemical risk systematically, at the input stage, before substances become a regulatory problem.  

That means assessing chemistry before it enters the supply chain, not testing for problems after products are made. 

This is the same dynamic that Vogue explored in a recent piece featuring bluesign Chief Commercial Officer, Barbara Oswald, on whether sustainability has become a supply chain bottleneck. The industry’s challenge isn’t a lack of data. It’s whether the data behind traceability tools, carbon platforms, and digital product passports is actually verified and trustworthy. The answer to that question starts with how chemistry is managed at the source. 

How bluesign approaches SVHC and CoRAP

Within the bluesign System, SVHC substances are assessed and managed as part of the standard chemical evaluation process. For both n-hexane and bisphenol AF, bluesign applies limits that are significantly stricter than the 0.1% SVHC threshold, supporting safer material choices for textile and footwear products. 

bluesign also monitors emerging regulatory developments like CoRAP. While the substances currently listed in the draft CoRAP for 2026 to 2028 are not explicitly included in the bluesign System Substance List (BSSL) or bluesign System Black Limits (BSBL), bluesign continuously tracks the publication of CoRAP updates and any resulting regulatory outcomes, including potential restrictions, new classifications, or changes to SVHC status. 

This approach reflects a broader principle: managing chemical risk proactively, based on the best available science and regulatory intelligence, rather than reacting to each new list update as it comes. 

For System Partner companies, this means fewer surprises when regulation evolves. The data, the assessments, and the improvement processes are already in place. 

What brands and manufacturers should consider 

Regulatory acceleration is not a trend that will reverse. The direction is consistent: greater transparency, stricter thresholds, and higher expectations for verified data throughout the supply chain. 

For companies evaluating how to manage this complexity, a few principles are worth keeping in mind. Managing chemistry at the input stage reduces the need to react to each regulatory change. Working with verified, primary data from the manufacturing process builds a stronger foundation for compliance, reporting, and substantiating public claims. And monitoring the regulatory pipeline, not just confirmed restrictions, helps identify risks earlier. 

The goal isn’t to predict every regulatory move. It’s to build a system that can absorb change without disruption. 

Contact us to learn how bluesign helps brands, manufacturers, and chemical suppliers manage chemical risk and stay ahead of evolving regulation.