Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ (ex-European Flax™) certification

This new promise is part of the development of the audited standard on good growing and scutching practices (first stage of processing) of European Flax. This work was developed collaboratively with all stakeholders in the sector.

This standard replaces the European Flax™ collective agricultural charter, in force since 2012, and will be subject to a robust audit by an independent third-party body, Bureau Veritas, from 2026, as is already the case for the downstream players in this certification (processors, brands/retailers and traders).

All rules governing the use of the new Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification identity for certified companies and brands are detailed in the official document appended to the Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ standard.

Download Rules for the Use of the new certification identity.

The Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification guarantees a traceability that is verified by an independent third-party organization (certification body), Bureau Veritas Certification, for products made of pure linen or containing a minimum of 50% linen.

1. Origin and traceability

• A renewable fibre grown in Europe: in France (in the three main Flax-growing regions: Normandy, Hauts-de-France and Ile-de-France), Belgium and the Netherlands (source: The Alliance Flax-Linen and Hemp Economic Observatory).
• Guaranteed traceability from fibre to finished product.

2. Human and technical know-how

• A combination of terroir, soil and climate advantages, along with human expertise
• Local technical support provided by experts (technical institutes, field technicians, etc.)
• Agricultural expertise passed down from generation to generation, reinforced by ongoing training for farmers and scutchers
• Skilled labour at every stage: farming, harvesting and scutching
• Specialized harvesting equipment that requires specific technical knowledge
• Close collaboration between farmers and scutchers to optimize the value of the fibres

3. Sustainable agricultural practices

• Careful water management from sowing to harvest: in Western Europe, Flax is generally grown without irrigation. Irrigation is only implemented in cases of specific need, with justification and after a joint decision by the farmer and the scutcher.
• Field retting, without irrigation. Field retting occurs naturally through the impact of rain, dew, wind and sun. Water retting is prohibited.
• Limited use of inputs:
  - Reasonable use of fertilizers, based on soil analyses, which are recommended to be done at least every 5 years.
  - The judicious use of plant protection products, based on observation and the use of biocontrols / alternatives to chemicals, is encouraged.
• Fibre Flax seeds are certified by official bodies as GMO-free.
• Chemical-free seed treatments are preferred.
• Agricultural practices that can be backed by decision support systems (DSSs) and technical assistance in the field.

4. Promoting biodiversity

• A crop rotation system that preserves the soil and limits the development of diseases and the occurrence of pests. A long rotation cycle of 6 years or more is preferred.
• Farmers are informed of agricultural practices that promote biodiversity.
• Biodiversity-friendly measures are encouraged (diverse cover crops, planting hedges, flower-rich fallow land, etc.).

5. Social responsibility

• Legal employment opportunities that comply with national and European labour laws

6. Environmental impact

• The environmental impacts of the fibre are assessed: European Flax is committed to an environmental trajectory based on:
  - Reliable and accessible life cycle data, representative of sound farming and scutching practices,
  - Contribution to the European Commission’s Environmental Footprint methods,
  - A process of continuous improvement.

7. 100% mechanical transformation

• 100% mechanical scutching, fibre extraction without water or solvents.

8. Total utilization of the plant

• A zero-waste fibre: all parts of the plant are utilized.

> 15th of January 2026

All European scutchers shall have an account in TextileGenesis™ and and shall integrate 100% of the certified Flax production.

> 15th of March 2026

All certified companies shall have register in TextileGenesis™ for the Flax-Linen Traceability Program.

> 15th of March 2027

All certified companies shall use TextileGenesis™ for all certified products' transactions and to prove product certification.

Certification Body Contacts

Bureau Veritas - France, Europe, Africa, Japan
Mr. Medhi CHINOUNE | medhi.chinoune@bureauveritas.com
Ms. Catherine FERAUD | catherine.feraud@bureauveritas.co

Bureau Veritas Turkey
Ms Marjorie LE TUTOUR | marjorie.le-tutour@bureauveritas.com
Ms. Catherine FERAUD | catherine.feraud@bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas - China
Ms. Minlu SUN | minlu.sun@bureauveritas.com | +86 18918228084 | +86 02123190800

Bureau Veritas - Taiwan
Ms. Mavis LIU | mavis.liu@bureauveritas.com | +886-922 762 662

Bureau Veritas - Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, Myanmar, Indonesia
Mr. Thien DINH | thien.dinh@bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas - India / Sri Lanka :
Mr. Dinesh K SHETTY | dinesh.shetty@bureauveritas.com | +91 22 62742929

Bureau Veritas - Bangladesh :
Mr Tareq AHMED | tareq.ahmed@bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas - Pakistan :
Ms. Sabeen AHAD | sabeen.ahad@bureauveritas.com

Contact for information, marketing tools and feedbacks

Contact Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp (contact form at the end of the page)

Accredited laboratories’ contacts

The laboratories listed below are members of the Bast Fibre Observatory and accredited to perform the composition tests required for certain companies as part of the Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification process.

Bureau Veritas CPS France
34B rue de la Ladrié - 59650 VILLENEUVE D’ASCQ - FRANCE
+ 33 (0)3 20 46 34 56
bureauveritas.com
Email contact: supportclients.cpsfra@bureauveritas.com

Centexbel
Technologiepark 70 - 9052 ZWIJNAARDE - BELGIUM
+32 (0)9 220 41 51
centexbel.be
Email contact: labo.chemisch@centexbel.be

Centrocot - CENTRO TESSILE COTONIERO E ABBIGLIAMENTO
Piazza S. Anna, 2 - 21052 BUSTO ARSIZIO (VA) - ITALY
+39 0331 696711
centrocot.it
Email contact: info@centrocot.it

Cetelor - Centre d’Essais Textile Lorrain
27 Rue Philippe Seguin - 88000 EPINAL - FRANCE
+33 (0)3 72 74 96 80
cetelor.univ-lorraine.fr
Email contact: naoual.bousmat@univ-lorraine.fr

Citeve
Rua Fernando Mesquita, nº 2785 - 4760-034 VILA NOVA DE FAMALICAO - PORTUGAL
+351 252 300 300
citeve.pt
Email contact: citeve@citeve.pt

IFTH - INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DU TEXTILE ET DE L’HABILLEMENT
Zone de l’Union - 41 rue des métissages - 59200 TOURCOING - FRANCE
+33 (0)3 20 19 74 00 (lab) / +33 (0)4 72 86 16 44 (sales)
ifth.org
Email contact: commercial@ifth.org

Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ Technical documents

All technical documents required to obtain Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification are available on the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp website.

Technical documents for Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification

Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ video tutorials

There are numerous video tutorials available to help companies with the approach and usage of the Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ certification.

Access the Masters of FLAX FIBRE™ video tutorials