European regulation continues to evolve rapidly, and with it the compliance, market-access and product-design considerations facing the adhesive tape industry. At its latest quarterly meeting, Afera’s Regulatory Affairs Working Group (RAWG) reviewed a broad range of legislative developments affecting packaging, chemicals, sustainability reporting and industrial policy across Europe.
Afera’s RAWG met on 18 March to review the legislative files currently most relevant to the European adhesive tape value chain. The discussion covered developments under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), including release liner classification, design for recycling (DfR) for paper packaging, packaging compliance roles and supplier information, PFAS in food-contact packaging and transport packaging reuse requirements. These topics matter directly to tape manufacturers, converters and suppliers because they shape how tape products, packaging components and packaging-related materials may be classified, assessed and documented in the years ahead.
The group also reviewed progress on the REACH microplastics restriction and the pellet loss regulation. While these files affect the sector in different ways, both have potential implications for how tape companies interpret material scope, reporting duties and operational requirements. The Meeting also examined the latest position on the E.U. Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), where questions of supply-chain roles, due diligence and documentation remain especially relevant for paper-based materials and natural rubber-related value chains.
Further updates were discussed on n-hexane’s inclusion on the SVHC Candidate List, the uncertain future of the Green Claims Directive, the latest omnibus changes to CSRD and CSDDD, and the evolving direction of the REACH revision. For the adhesive tape industry, these files are important not only because of their direct regulatory consequences, but because they affect customer expectations, substance management, product stewardship and broader sustainability communication.
Beyond the priority files, Afera also monitored a wider set of policy developments with possible relevance for the sector, including the End-of-Life (ELV) Vehicles Regulation, rosin acids classification, the PFAS restriction process, flame retardants, silicone monomers, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Environmental Omnibus, the Circular Economy Act, the Advanced Materials Act and the Industrial Accelerator Act. These emerging files may influence how adhesive tapes are treated in downstream sectors such as transport, electronics, packaging and construction, as well as how materials and components are documented, assessed and valued in future industrial policy.
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