Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced that May 1, 2026, will mark the official termination of the longstanding Sampling and testing protocol for Canadian flaxseed exported to the European Union (EU).
This non-tariff barrier had been in place since 2009, after trace amounts of an unauthorized genetically modified flaxseed called CDC Triffid was detected in a Europe-bound shipment, leading to the immediate and temporary cessation of flaxseed exports.
While the Protocol enabled trade to resume, it has been imposing additional costs and administrative burdens on Canadian industry and has put them at a disadvantage relative to competitors. After years of testing with no detections of CDC Triffid, Canada and the EU worked together to review the Protocol.
Canada’s formal request for its discontinuation, submitted in 2024, was recently accepted, and will no longer be required as of May 1, 2026.
The end of the Protocol offers increased economic potential for Canadian flaxseed farmers and exporters and is a positive example of Canada-EU collaboration to strengthen international trade.