An adhesive is described, in particular for applications on substrate materials made of flexible PVC, comprising a polymer which is obtainable via free-radical polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated compounds and which is composed of at least 50% by weight of soft acrylate monomers with glass transition temperature below 0° C., at least 1% by weight of ethylenically unsaturated nitriles, at least 1% by weight of hard acrylate monomers with glass transition temperature of at least 60° C., at least 0.1% by weight of ethylenically unsaturated acid monomers, and at least 0.01% by weight of monomers having at least two non-conjugated, polymerizable vinyl groups, where the polymerization reaction takes place via staged polymerization, and at least one portion of the soft acrylate monomers is polymerized in a first polymerization stage, and at least one portion of the hard acrylate monomers is polymerized in a second or subsequent polymerization stage. Uses of the adhesive for the bonding of substrates made of flexible PVC are also described, as also are self-adhesive items with a PVC foil as substrate material and with a coating of the adhesive of the invention.