Masters of Linen™ certification

1. What is Masters of Linen™ ?

Masters of Linen™ is the guarantee of traceability of linen made by European companies on European and Euromed 1 sites. A textile of excellence, local at all stages: from the vegetal European Flax™ fibre, to the yarn and fabric.

Masters of Linen™ is an internationally registered trademark by the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp and its subsidiary CELC DEVELOPPEMENT.

Masters of Linen™ brings together and promotes certified European textile companies (spinners, weavers and knitters) who wish to offer their customers - brands and/or consumers - a differentiation tool with high added value. 

Masters of Linen™ meets the expectations of consumers and companies in terms of origin and traceability:

• Masters of Linen™ certified yarns and fabrics are manufactured by certified European companies, from certified European Flax™ fibre. 
• The European Flax™ fibre is the raw material sourced 100% by Masters of Linen™ certified spinners. Masters of Linen™ certified companies and products (yarns and fabrics) thus benefit from the environmental advantages of the European Flax™ fibre, which is produced through farming that is respectful of the environment.
• The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the European Flax™ scutched flax fibre is available and under development for the following stages carried out in Europe including spinning, weaving and knitting.

In addition, companies certified as Masters of Linen™:

• Promote local agricultural and textile know-how 
• Support European jobs
• Are subject to strict European regulations on labour and human rights.
• Offer a high level of service to their customers
• Guarantee excellence and innovation

The Masters of Linen™ certification guarantees independently verified traceability for yarns and fabrics made from pure linen or containing a minimum of 50% linen. 

2. How to become Masters of Linen™ certified?

Whether you are a European spinner, a weaver or a circular knitter, you will find below the requirements for obtaining and using this certification.

2.1 Eligibility 

The Masters of Linen™ certification is open to European spinners, weavers and circular knitters who commit to supporting the European industry, implementing strict traceability and undergoing annual verification audits. 

Download the Masters of Linen™ Traceability Chain

To obtain the Masters of Linen™ certification, a company must:

1. Be a European spinner, weaver or circular knitter. 
   Traders, flatbed knitters and garment makers cannot be Masters of Linen™ certified.
2. Become a member of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, via the national flax association where applicable.
3. Produce in Europe
   For spinners: Produce 100% in the EU (with acceptance of Euromed 1 
   For weavers: Own a factory in the EU.
4. Support the European flax industry by purchasing certified European materials
   For spinners : 100% sourcing of European Flax™ certified fibres and no trade in yarn from outside the EU. 
   For fancy yarn spinners, weavers and circular knitters : Over 55% sourcing of Masters of Linen™ yarns per year, out of total linen supplies.
5. Undergo an annual independent audit by a verification body or the company's auditor.

Brands and editors may also choose to become Masters of Linen™ certified and commit to purchasing Masters of Linen™ certified materials representing at least 55% of their total linen supplies, and to an annual audit similar to that of weavers/knitters.  

For full requirements, please contact us

2.2 Certification process

The certification process steps are detailed as follows:

1. Contact us for information and to receive the application form
2. Application:  
   Complete and sign the Masters of Linen™ contract and Company Profile and send them to certification@allianceflaxlinenhemp.eu 
3. Review of the application and validation by the Masters of Linen™ Committee:
   Once your application is completed, it is sent to the Committee for validation.
   The certification is effective immediately after validation by the Committee 
4. The company receives the Masters of Linen™ logo, marketing tools, etc.
5. Annual audit:
   From March following the approval of the application, the company undergoes an annual verification audit conducted by:     
   - The company's statutory auditor (Revisore/CAC/Réviseur/SROC) or
   - The certification body Centexbel, Belgium (sst@centexbel.be ) or
   - The certification body Centrocot, Italy (paolo.ghezzo@centrocot.it ) 

After the first audit, the company receives a certificate valid for one year.

2.3 Steps and timeframe  

Once the Masters of Linen™ Contract and Company Profile are validated and all required elements are provided, the Masters of Linen™ Committee can decide on each application within a few weeks.

2.4 Cost of Masters of Linen™ certification

• Membership : 
  A membership fee for the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp applies depending on the company's activity. 
  For more information, please contact us 

• Audits :
  Indicative annual cost for the Centrocot and Centexbel Institutes: about 400€/year + travel expenses.

• Use of the Trade Mark : 
  The use of the Masters of Linen™ Trade Mark is granted free of charge to certified companies and brands/ publishers by the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, without licensing fees. For brands and publishers: please contact us for more details.

3. How to verify that a product is Masters of Linen™?

A product can be certified as Masters of Linen™ Only if it meets the following criteria: 

1. Company criteria:
   It was produced from materials made by Masters of Linen™ certified companies, meaning:
   - The yarn was made by a Masters of Linen™ certified spinner AND the fabric was made by a certified weaver or circular knitter.
   OR
   - The yarn was made by a Masters of Linen™ certified spinner AND it has been knitted and made by a European flat knitter.
2. Composition criteria:  
   The product/material meets the 2 Masters of Linen™ composition criteria:
   - It is made from 100% Masters of Linen™ certified linen.
   This means that no blending is allowed with other types of linen - organic, recycled, conventional, etc
   - It has a composition of at least 50% linen or is woven as metisse (metisse = cotton warp, linen weft, minimum 40% linen).
   Please note that intimate yarn blends are not permitted under the Masters of Linen™ certification.
3. Guarantee of traceability: 
   The guarantee of traceability of Masters of Linen™ products/materials is ensured by the sales invoices or any other document of the certified company (such as the order confirmation, or a separate document), on which the certified company indicates:
   - Its Masters of Linen™ certificate number 
   - The composition of each certified linen product
   - The claim "Masters of Linen™ certified" for each certified product.

4. How to find a Masters of Linen™  certified company? 

The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp has listed all companies that have obtained the  Masters of Linen™ certification in its Certified Company Directory.
Check the directory for a list of Masters of Linen™ certified spinners and weavers and the dates of current certificates.

Consult the directory of Masters of Linen™ certified companies

5. How to label my Masters of Linen™ products?

Only Masters of Linen™ certified products can be labelled as such.
   
All types of communication, labelling, logo use and claims around the Masters of Linen™ certification must comply with the Masters of Linen™ Guidelines for logo use and be validated by the Alliance.  

Use of the Trade Mark is granted free of charge by the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp, without any licensing fees, after completing and signing the Masters of Linen™ contract and Company Profile.  

The process for using the logo is summarised as follows:  

• By certified companies 
  Certified companies may use the Masters of Linen™ mark on their Masters of Linen™ certified semi-finished or finished product by: 
  • Complying with the Masters of Linen™ Guidance for logo use, which was sent to them by the Alliance once their certification was validated. 
  • Submitting all their Masters of Linen™ communication projects (labels, headers, brochures, websites, etc.) for review and approval by the Alliance. (certification@allianceflaxlinenhemp.eu )

• By brands  
  Brands/editors will be able to use the Masters of Linen™ logo and tools in their communication and marketing, following the steps below:  

1. Check that:
   - their fabric or circular knit supplier is Masters of Linen™ certified.
   - For their flat knit products, that the spinner is Masters of Linen™ certified and that the flat knitter is located in Europe.
2. Check that the products are Masters of Linen™ certified. 
3. Contact the Alliance for full information on the certification and its conditions of use.
4. Receive the Masters of Linen™ marketing tools (including logo and Guidance for logo use) sent by the Alliance or directly from the certified fabric or circular knit supplier, or from the certified spinner (for flatbed knit products).
5. Send all their communication projects (labels, POS material, brochures, website, etc.) to the Alliance for verification and validation.
6. Send the Alliance every year a few copies of purchase invoices showing product certification (confidential information such as price can be hidden). 

Brands and publishers can also choose to become Masters of Linen™ certified and commit to purchasing Masters of Linen™ certified materials representing at least 55% of their total linen supply, and to carry out an annual audit similar to that of the weavers/knitters.  

In this case, they will be listed among the certified companies and subject, for the labelling of their products, to the same conditions as the certified companies above.

6. Contacts Masters of Linen™ certification

Information and certification request

Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp

Certification body

Centexbel (Belgium): sst@centexbel.be 

Centrocot (Italy): paolo.ghezzo@centrocot.it

7. Masters of Linen™ technical documents

All the technical documents to obtain the Masters of Linen™ certification are downloadable on our website and upon request.

Access to technical documents of Masters of Linen™ certification