Flag of Europe

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Flag of the European Union
and the Council of Europe

Use	Civil and state flag and national ensign.
Proportion	2:3
Adopted	December 8, 1955 (CoE) May 26, 1986 (EU)
Design	A circle of 12 5-pointed gold stars on a blue field.
Designed by	Arsène Heitz

The Flag of Europe, formally the flag of both the European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE), consists of a circle of twelve golden (yellow) stars on a blue background. It was created in 1955 by the CoE and later adopted by the EU, then the European Community, in the 1980s.

The CoE and EU are distinct in membership and nature. The CoE is a 47 member international organisation dealing with human rights and rule of law, while the EU is a quasi-federal union of 27 states focused on economic integration and political cooperation. Today, the flag is mostly associated with the latter due to its higher profile.

It was also the intention of the CoE that the flag should come to represent Europe as a whole, and since its adoption the membership of the CoE covers nearly the entire continent. This is also the reason why the EU adopted the same flag as the CoE. The flag has been used to represent Europe in sporting events and also as a pro-democracy banner outside the Union.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Previous flags 1.2 Creation 1.3 European Communities 1.4 Recent events 2 Usage 2.1 Council of Europe 2.2 European Union 2.3 Wider use 3 Design 3.1 Colours 3.2 Number of stars 3.3 Biblical interpretation 4 Alternative designs 4.1 Early proposals 4.2 Recent designs 5 Derivative designs 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Previous flags

Further information: Flag of the European Coal and Steel Community

There have been numerous other flags developed by European bodies which have been replaced by the present flag. The first major organisation to adopt one was the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which later merged into the European Communities. The ECSC was created in 1952 and the flag of the ECSC was unveiled in 1958 Expo in Brussels.^[1]

The flag had two stripes, blue at the top, black at the bottom with 6 gold (later silver, after 1973) stars, 3 on each stripe. Blue was for steel, black for coal and the six stars were the six member-states. The stars increased with the number of members until 1986 when it was fixed at twelve. When the ECSC treaty expired in 2002, the flag was lowered outside the European Commission in Brussels for the final time and replaced with the European flag.^[1][2][3]

The European Parliament also used its own flag from 1973, but was never formally adopted by it. It fell out of use with the adoption of the twelve star flag by the Parliament in 1983. The flag followed the yellow and blue colour scheme however instead of 12 stars there were the letters EP and PE (initials of the European Parliament in the then six community languages) surrounded by wreath.^[4]

[edit] Creation

The Council of Europe's search for a symbol began in 1950 when it set up a committee to look into the question of a European flag. Following numerous proposals (see Early Proposals below) they narrowed their choice to two designs. These were one by Arsène Heitz, who worked at the Council, that was "a crown of 12 golden stars with 5 rays, their points not touching" and another by Salvador de Madariaga, who was the founder of the College of Europe who suggested a constellation of stars.^[5][6]

Heitz's flag was preferred by the Committee of Ministers (the Council's main decision making body) and was agreed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in on 1955-10-25. Adopted on 1955-12-08, it was unveiled at the Château de la Muette in Paris on 1955-12-13.^[5][6]

[edit] European Communities

Following the 1958 Expo '58 in Brussels, the flag caught on and the Council of Europe lobbied for other European organisations to adopt the flag as a sign of European unity.^[5] The European Parliament took the initiative in seeking a flag to be adopted by the European Community. Shortly after the first direct elections in 1979 a draft resolution was put forward on the issue. The resolution proposed that the Communities' flag should be that of the Council of Europe^[6] and it was adopted by the Parliament on 1983-04-11.^[5]

The June 1984 European Council (The Communities' leaders) summit in Fontainebleau stressed the importance of promoting a European image and identity to citizens and the world. The following year, meeting in Milan, the European Council approved a proposal from the Committee on a People’s Europe (Adonnino Committee) that a flag should be adopted. Following the permission of the Council of Europe,^[6] the European Council formally adopted the flag on behalf of the whole Community on 1986-05-26.^[5] The European Union, which was established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 to replace the EC and encompass its functions, also adopted the flag. Since then the use of the flag has been controlled jointly by the Council of Europe and the European Union.^[6]

[edit] Recent events

“	Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Hungary, Malta, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic declare that the flag with a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background, the anthem based on the ‘Ode to Joy’ from the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, the motto ‘United in diversity’, the euro as the currency of the European Union and Europe Day on 9 May will for them continue as symbols to express the sense of community of the people in the European Union and their allegiance to it.	”
—Final Act, Official Journal of the European Union, 2007 C 306-2 [7]

The flag was to have been given a formal status in the proposed European Constitution. However since the ratification of that failed, the leaders removed the state-like elements such as the flag from the replacement Treaty of Lisbon. The European Parliament however had supported the inclusion of symbols and in response backed a proposal to use the symbols such as the flag more often in the Parliament with MEP Jo Leinen suggesting that the Parliament should again take the avant-garde in their use.^[8]

Additionally, a declaration by sixteen Member States on the symbols, including the flag, was included in the final act of the Treaty of Lisbon stating that the flag, the anthem, the motto and the currency and Europe Day "will for them continue as symbols to express the sense of community of the people in the European Union and their allegiance to it."^[7]

In April 2004, the flag was flown in space for the first time by ESA astronaut André Kuipers while on board the International Space Station.^[9]

[edit] Usage

[edit] Council of Europe

The flag was originally designed by the Council of Europe,^[6] and as such the CoE holds the copyright for the flag. Consequently, in theory the Secretary General of the Council of Europe could bar the EU from using it.^{[citation needed]}

However the Council of Europe agreed that the European Community could use the flag and it had promoted its use by other regional organisations since it was created. The Council of Europe now shares responsibility with the European Commission for ensuring that use of the symbol respects the dignity of the flag - taking measures to prevent misuse of it.^[6]

Besides using the flag, the Council also uses a defaced version of the flag as its emblem: it is the existing design with a stylised "e" over the stars.^[6]

[edit] European Union

The flag symbolises the EU as a whole but it is also the sole emblem of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.^[10] However all other bodies and agencies, except for the European Agency for Reconstruction, have their own emblem, albeit often inspired by the flag's design and colours.^[11]

As part of the EU's usage, the flag appears on driving licences and vehicle registration plates issued in the Union^[12] as well as on the euro banknotes.^[13] Euro coins also display the twelve stars of the flag on both the national and common sides.^[14]

The flag must also be used in every official speech made by the President-in-Office of the European Council and is often used on official visits to a non-EU country (where there is the flag of the third country, the national flag and European flag appear together). Some members also have their own rules regarding the use of the flag alongside their national flag on domestic occasions. Outside official use, the flag may not be used for aims incompatible with European values.^[12]

In national usage, national protocol usually demands the national flag takes precedence over the European flag (which is usually displayed to the right of the national flag from the observer's perspective). On occasions where the European flag is flown alongside all national flags (for example, at a European Council meeting, the national flags are placed in alphabetical order (according to the state's primary language) with the European flag either at the head, or the far right, of the order of flags.^[15][16]

Extraordinary flying of the flag is common on the EU's flag day, known as Europe Day which is celebrated annually on 9 May.^[17][18][19] On Europa Day 2008, the flag was flown for the first time above the German Reichstag.^[20] In addition to the flags use by the government and people, the flag is also used in EU military operations.^[21] In 2003, an MEP tabled a proposal in a temporary committee of the European Parliament that national civil ensigns be defaced with the European flag. This proposal was rejected by Parliament in 2004 and hence the European flag is not used as a European civil ensign.^[22]

[edit] Wider use

The flag has been intended to represent Europe in its wider sense. The Council of Europe covers all but three European countries, thereby representing much of Europe.^[6]

In particular the flag has become a banner for pro-Europeanism outside the Union, for example in Georgia where the flag is on most government buildings since the coming to power of Mikhail Saakashvili,^[23] who used it during his inauguration^[24] stating: "[the European] flag is Georgia’s flag as well, as far as it embodies our civilisation, our culture, the essence of our history and perspective, and our vision for the future of Georgia."^[25] It was later used in 2008 by pro-western Serbian voters ahead of an election.^[26]

It is also used as a pro-democracy emblem in countries such as Belarus where it has been used on protest marches alongside the banned former national flag and flags of opposition movements.^[27][28] The flag was used widely in a 2007 "European March" in Minsk as protesters rallied in support of democracy and accession to the EU.^[29]

The flag is also used in certain sports arrangements where a unified 'Team Europe' is represented. The features of the flag, or the flag in its entirety are often used as a parts of commercial brands or clearly reflected in the shaping of logos of Europe-wide organisations and companies.

[edit] Design

The flag is blue with a circle of 12 gold/yellow five-pointed stars oriented upwards (the number of stars is fixed). The heraldic description given by the EU is: "On an azure field a circle of twelve golden mullets, their points not touching."^[30]

The Council of Europe described the flag as: "Against the blue sky of the Western world, the stars represent the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity. Their number shall be invariably set at twelve, the symbol of completeness and perfection ... just like the twelve signs of the zodiac represent the whole universe, the twelve gold stars stand for all peoples of Europe – including those who cannot as yet take part in building up Europe in unity and peace."

[edit] Colours

	Blue	Gold
RGB	0/51/153	255/204/0
Hex	003399	FFCC00
PMS	Reflex Blue	Yellow
CMYK	100% Process Cyan; 80% Process Magenta	100% Process Yellow

Some claim that there was an early design of white stars on a light blue field, symbolising the dependence on the United Nations.^[31]

[edit] Number of stars

The number of stars on the flag is fixed at 12 and is not related to the number of member states of the EU since it is originally the flag of the Council of Europe and does not have a relationship with the EU.^[10] In 1953, the Council of Europe had 15 members; it was proposed that the future flag should have one star for each member, and would not change based on future members. West Germany objected to this as one of the members was the disputed area of Saarland, and to have its own star would imply sovereignty for the region.

On this basis, France also objected to fourteen stars, as this would imply the absorption of Saarland into Germany. Myth has it that the Italian representative then objected that thirteen was an unlucky number (it is not unlucky in Italy),^{[citation needed]} as well as the fact that early flags of the United States featured that number of stars. Twelve was eventually adopted as a number with no political connotations and as a symbol of perfection and completeness^[10] because of the ubiquity of the number for groups in European cultures and traditions such as:

12 hours on a clock 12 months in a year 12 symbols of the zodiac 12 Apostles 12 sons of Jacob 12 semitones in an octave (western music)

12 days of Christmas 12 Caesars chronicled by Suetonius 12 Olympian gods 12 labours of Hercules 12 tables of Roman Law 12 Hues in the colour wheel, star or sphere (western art)

[edit] Biblical interpretation

The circle of stars bears a striking similarity to the twelve-star halo of the Virgin Mary seen in Roman Catholic art. The flag's designer, Arsène Heitz, has acknowledged that the Book of Revelation (which is where the twelve-star halo of the Virgin Mary was first mentioned) helped to inspire him.^[32] Revelation 12:1 is cited to explain the symbolism: "A great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars".

Others have traced the origin of the flag of Europe to the time of the Second World War. Paul M. G. Lévi, a Belgian of Jewish descent, vowed that he if he should survive the war, he would convert to Christianity. He duly survived and became a Catholic. On May 5, 1949, the Council of Europe was established in London and Paul Lévi became Chief of its Department of Culture. In 1952, when the idea of a European flag was being discussed, several proposed designs – perhaps inspired by the example several European national flags - included a cross; this however would have been rejected by the Socialists as ideologically biased and too Christian.^[33]

One day Lévi passed a statue of the Virgin Mary with a halo of stars and was struck by the way the stars, reflecting the sun, glowed against the blue of the sky. Lévi later visited Count Benvenuti, a Venetian Christian democrat and then Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and suggested that he should propose twelve golden stars on a blue ground as motif for the flag of Europe. This proposal became generally accepted.^[33] However, the official authorities of the European Union disregard the biblical interpretation as myth.^[34]

[edit] Alternative designs

[edit] Early proposals

In addition to official flags such as the ECSC flag, there were a number of alternative proposals for the European flag. These included using the flag of the International Paneuropean Union, which was a blue, with a red cross inside an orange circle at the centre. Due to the cross symbolism, this was rejected by Turkey (an early member of the Council of Europe).^[31] Another organisation's flag was the European Movement, which had a large green E on a white background.^[35][36]

A further design was one based on the Olympic rings; eight silver rings on a blue background. It was rejected due to the rings' similarity with "dial","chain" and "zeros". A proposal by Carl Weidl Raymon was of a large yellow star on a blue background. However it was rejected due to its similarity with the so-called Burnet flag, which had been briefly adopted in the 1830s by the Republic of Texas, and the flag of the Belgian Congo.^[31]

[edit] Recent designs

In 2002, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his architecture firm OMA designed a new flag in response to Commission President Romano Prodi's request to find ways of rebranding the Union in a way that represents Europe's "diversity and unity". The proposed new design was dubbed the "barcode" as it displays the colours of every European flag (of the then 15 members) as vertical stripes. As well as the barcode comparison, it had been compared unfavourably to wallpaper, a TV test card and deckchair fabric. Unlike the current flag it would change to reflect the member states.^[37]

It was never officially adopted by the EU or any organisation; however, it was used as the logo of the Austrian EU Presidency in 2006. It had been updated with the colours of the 10 members who had joined since the proposal and was designed by Koolhaas's firm. Its described aim is "to portray Europe as the common effort of different nations, with each retaining its own unique cultural identity".^[38]

[edit] Derivative designs

The design of the European flag has been used in a variation, such as that of the Council of Europe mentioned above, and also to a greater extent such as the flag of the Western European Union (WEU), which uses the same colours and the stars but has a number of stars based on membership and in a semicircle rather than a circle. It is also defaced with the initials of the Western European Union in two languages.^[39]

The flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have such a strong connection as the WEU flag, but was partly inspired by the European involvement in, and aspirations of, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It uses the same blue and yellow colours and the stars, although of a different number and colour, are a direct reference to those of the European flag.^[40]

Likewise, Kosovo uses blue, yellow and stars in its flag in reference to the European flag, symbolising its European ambitions (membership of the European Union). Kosovo has, like Bosnia and Herzegovina, seen heavy European involvement in its affairs, with the European Union assuming a supervisory role after its declared independence in 2008.^[41][42]

[edit] See also

• European symbols
• Crown of Immortality
• Circle of stars
• Flag of the European Coal and Steel Community
• Flag of the Western European Union

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Council of Europe on the European Flag
• Graphical specifications for the European Emblem
• Flag of the European Union European Navigator
• Ceremony to mark the expiry of the ECSC Treaty (Brussels, 23 July 2002), European NAvigator
• CIA page
• European Union at Flags of the World
• Memorandum on design and designer of European flag
• World flag database

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