EU Law Requires Transparency for Textiles
BAAR, SWITZERLAND / AGILITYPR.NEWS / April 02, 2026 / SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, has published a Consumer Compact article focusing on new responsibilities for textile manufacturers and brands under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
SGS was the principal sponsor of the winning team, 44west, in this year’s World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic 2026. During the race, 44west highlighted the environmental pressures which can significantly impact fragile coral reefs, including chemical runoff and microfiber release from textile production. The team raised CHF 42,832 to support their reef project in the Philippines. These impacts from industries like textile production are now subject to increasingly restrictive legislation, and a Consumer Compact article examines in detail manufacturer obligations under the EU’s new regulatory requirements.
The ESPR and CSRD are legislative frameworks that raise the bar for chemical transparency, data accuracy and value-chain collaboration. As new EU reporting deadlines approach, textile businesses must reassess their existing chemical management systems to ensure transparency and respond to the expanded list of substances of concern (SoC).
More than 4,600 substances currently fall within the ESPR definition of SoC, and this number will increase as new hazard classes for endocrine disruption, persistence, mobility and bioaccumulation take effect under EU law in 2026, affecting several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in textile applications. As sustainability obligations evolve, the ESPR and CSRD will transform mandatory chemical requirements for almost all goods sold in the EU, creating a chain of responsibility linking upstream chemical suppliers to manufacturers and finished products.
Innovation and chemical management trust with bluesign
Key to the legislative changes is the shift away from reliance on safety data sheets (SDS), which omit full formulations, undisclosed impurities and nuanced hazard profiles. Accurate, traceable and validated primary data will now be required, and the article examines help for businesses available through bluesign®. All bluesign APPROVED chemicals undergo full composition disclosure and assessment against hazards, consumer and worker safety, environmental fate, SVHC status and key regulations such as REACH and the POPs Regulation. The identification, management and reporting of SoCs with bluesign’s purpose-built digital tools provides CSRD/ESPR-ready data to support compliant and sustainable product design.
Read the full article. ‘Chemical Transparency Becomes Essential for Textiles Under EU Law.’
For further information, contact:
Daniel Waterkamp
Head of bluesign® Academy
Tel: +41712722990
Website: www.bluesign.com
About Us
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of over 100,000 dedicated professionals. With more than 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.
Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and reliability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and a portfolio of trusted specialized brands, including Applied Technical Services, Brightsight, Bluesign and Nutrasource.
SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH1256740924, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN SW).
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