![[Flag]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fflagspot.net%2fflags%2f..%2fimages%2fe%2feu-eun.gif)
Flag of European Union - Image byŽeljko Heimer, 1 May 2004
See also:
As of 1 February 2019, the 27 members of European Union are:
|Austria |Belgium |Bulgaria |Croatia |Czech Republic |Cyprus |Denmark |Estonia |Finland |France |Germany |Greece |Hungary |Ireland |Italy |Latvia |Lithuania |Luxembourg |Malta |Netherlands |Poland|Portugal |Romania |Slovakia |Slovenia |Spain |Sweden |
The historical evolution of membership is:
The European currency (euro) is used in 18 countries ofthe European Union forming the Eurozone: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain (since 1 January 1999); Greece (since 1 January 2001), although coins andnotes were released only on 1 January 2002 for all these countries; Slovenia (since 1 January 2007); Cyprus and Malta (since 1 January 2008); Slovakia (since 1 January 2009); Estonia (since 1 January 2011); Latvia (since 1 January 2014); and Lithuania (since 1 January 2015).
In spite of not being members of European Union,Andorra, theHoly See,Monaco andSan Marinohave adopted the euro as their currency, following a monetary agreement with the European Union.
Kosovo andMonteneogro have also, unilateraly, adopted the euro as their currency.
Ivan Sache, 1 February 2019
Quoting adocument once available on the website of the Council of Europe:
The debate on a flag for the Council of Europe begins in 1949 as soonas the Organisation comes into being.
Jacques-Camille Paris, the first SG, asks the Bureau of the Assemblyto examine the question of a flag in September 1949, but the Bureaudecides that the question falls outside of its competence. The Secretariat receives a number of proposals from the public, many of which are still preserved in the Council of Europe Archives.Paul Lévy, Director of information, calls on local heraldic expertsfor assistance.
The following year the Assembly's Committee on General Affairs callsfor a series of measures - including a flag - to raise publicawareness of "European union". The Assembly refers the question to its Committee on Rules andProcedures and Privileges. This committee draws up a shortlist of 12proposals, suggesting that it should be put to a vote of the membersof the Assembly.Arsene Heitz, a Council of Europe employee working in the MailOffice, who is credited with the design that is eventually adopted,begins submitting designs for the flag in 1951 and continues tosubmit new designs up until until 1955. His first preference is for aflag based on the standard of Charlemagne. Almost 30 designs signedby Heitz are conserved in the Archives.
Coudenhove Kalergi takes a keen interest in the events, first of allhoping that hisown flag will be adopted.
The Assembly organises the referendum in December 1951.Meanwhile Salvador de Madariaga (1886-1978) submits his own design ofstars on a blue background "The European nations that were fullysovereign in 1938 will be represented each by a golden star on thespot occupied by its capital city on the map".
The referendum produces a clear result in favour of the Kalergiproposal. This evokes a strong protest from the Turkish delegation,stating that a cross would not be acceptable to them.
There follows a long diplomatic pause in the search for a flag as theSecretariat reflects on how to respond to these events.Then the idea of a flag consisting of stars moves to the fore.Proposals based on stars, partly inspired by the USA flag, hadalready appeared among the 12 shortlisted for the Assemblyreferendum.
The question is sent back to the Committee on Rules and Proceduresand Privileges. The Committee nominates Bichet as rapporteur. InSeptember 1953 Bichet produces a report proposing a white flag of 15green stars. The Committee rejects this, preferring gold stars on ablue background, but retaining the 15 stars. The plenary Assemblythen adopts thisflag as its own emblem (25/9/53) and recommends thatthe Committee of Ministers follow suit.
This provokes a strong protest from Germany, since the number ofstars is linked to the number of member States, which clearlyincludes the disputed territory of the Sarre. The Germans argue thatthe Committee of Ministers are the only authority competent forchoosing an emblem for the Organisation as a whole.
The Ministers' Deputies refer the question to the Joint Committee(15/5/54) and ask the Assembly to suspend their use of the flag.The Joint Committee concludes (19/5/54) that their must be a singleemblem for the Organisation and that the Assembly must be associatedwith the choice, although theactual work will be overseen by the Committee of Ministers.
The Ministers Deputies then set up an ad hoc expert committee of threemembers of the Assembly (including Bichet) and three heraldic experts tostudy the question. This committee produces a proposal (the "Bichetproposal") for aflag of eight interlocking rings, similar to the flag ofthe Olympic Games. This proposal is rejected by the Deputies (theItalians compared it to a telephone, the Germans to chains) inDecember 1954.
In January 1955 the Secretariat mounts a mini-exhibition for theDeputies of new flag designs. From this two designs are short-listed,a Heitz design of 12 stars and the Madariaga design. The Deputiesforward the two proposals to the Joint Committee, indicating theirpreference for the former.In October 1955, the Assembly supports the 12 star flag (25/10/55)and recommends that the Ministers Deputies adopt it. The Deputiesadopt it in December (9/12/55).
In 1986 the Deputies "take note with satisfaction" of the Decision ofthe European Community to use the flag as well as the European Anthem.
Phil Nelson, 21 October 2004
It was theEuropean Parliament whichtook the initiative for a flag to be adopted for the EuropeanCommunity. In 1979 a draft resolution was presented, shortly afterthe first European elections held by universal suffrage. In aresolution adopted in April 1983 the Parliament decreed that theCommunity's flag should be that adopted by the Council of Europe in1955.
The European Council, meeting at Fontainebleau (France) in June 1984,stressed the importance of promoting the European image and identityin the eyes of its citizens and the world. Then, in Milan (Italy) in June1985, it gave its approval to the proposal of the Committee on aPeople's Europe (Adonnino Committee) that a flag should be adopted bythe Community. The Council of Europe agreed to the use by theCommunity of the European flag that it had adopted in 1955 andCommunity institutions have been using it since the beginning of1986.
Thus the European flag and emblem represent both the Council ofEurope and the European Community (and the European Union, since theentry into force of the Maastricht Treaty). It has now become thesymbol par excellence of united Europe and European identity. TheCouncil of Europe and the institutions of the European Union haveexpressed satisfaction with the growing awareness of the Europeanflag and emblem among European citizens. The European Commission andthe Council of Europe are responsible for ensuring that all uses ofthis symbol respect the dignity of the European flag and emblem, andfor taking whatever measures are necessary to prevent misuse.
David Crowe, 6 November 1998
The adoption process of the European Union flag is described in a paperpublished on 18 May 1999 in the French newspaperL'Alsace.
The paper reports research done in the elementary school AristideBriand, under the guidance of the school teacher René Hurstel.The school is located in Benfeld, in Lower-Alsace between Strasbourg andSélestat.
The twelve yellow stars on a blue field were officially adopted asthe symbol of the European Community on 26 May 1986. Adoption of a flagand an anthem was suggested during the European council held inMilan on 28 and 29 June 1985. In the beginning of 1986, theEuropean Commission believed that adoption date of the flag and theanthem should be 9 May, the anniversary of Robert Schuman'sdeclaration of 9 May 1950, which is considered as the founding act ofthe European Union.
There were two proposals for the flag:
During parliamentary sessions in Strasbourg, the Presidents of theParliament, Commission, and Council of Ministers of the European Community often metfor lunch meetings. In March 1986, the Dutch Minister of ForeignAffairs Van den Brook met Jacques Delors (President of theCommission) and Pierre Pflimlin (President of the Parliament). Pfimlin issaid to have initiated the discussion on the flag. He proposedthe current flag and was supported by Delors.
Ivan Sache, 6 April 2002
The number of stars on the flag of the European Union is definitively 12.
In 1953, theCouncil of Europe had 15members and its flag should have had one star for each member.
The number of stars was not to alter if the number of memberschanged.
However Germany objected to the number 15because one of the members of the Council wasSaar, and 15 stars would imply "star"sovereignty for that region.
France would not agree to 14 stars as thatnumber would acknowledge the absorption of Saar into Germany.
13 was ruled out for superstitious reasons.
12 was reckoned to be a "good" number because it had no politicalinnuendo, and there are
David Prothero, 12 December 1996
The question of how many stars appear on the European Flag hasarisen before. When Sweden, Finland and Austria wereadmitted in 1995, the number of member states increased from 12 to15. Several cases exist where people assumed that the number of starswould also increase. A graphic with 15 stars appeared on BBC News forsome days. I wrote and told them it was wrong and they reverted tothe correct pattern. Despite this, the 15-star version still appearedoccasionally. I eventually suggested that the incorrect graphic bedestroyed so that it could not appear even by accident. They may havedone so as it has not appeared since then.
The other, more lasting case, has been with car stickers. There arecar stickers available, oval with the blue of the European flag andthe stars and the white letters "GB" in the centre. Most of them have12 stars, but there are some with 15. I have not yet discovered whichcompany manufactures them.
Michael Faul, 5 October 2001
On 16 April 2003, the editorial placed on the front page ofLaNouvelle République was entitledLe drapeau aux 25 étoiles (The 25 star flag).
This very unfortunate title is confirmed by the very unfortunate body of the article (paragraph 2):
À compter du 1er mai 2004, tous ces états seront intégrés à l'Union,[...]. Le drapeau européen comptera alors 25 étoiles. (On 1 May 2004, all those States shall be incorporated to the[European] Union, [...]. The European Union flag will have 25 stars.)
The last paragraph of the editorial mentionsL'Europe à 25 étoiles(The 25 star Europe).
Ivan Sache, 17 July 2004
The Convention published a proposal for the European Constitution (text). The symbols of the Union are described as follows:
Part IVGeneral and final provisions
New Article IV-0
The symbols of the Union
The flag of the Union shall be a circle of twelve golden stars ona blue background.
The anthem of the Union shall be based on the Ode to Joy from theNinth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven.
The motto of the Union shall be: United in diversity.
The currency of the Union shall be the euro.
9 May shall be celebrated throughout the Union as Europe day.[The Convention considers that this Article would be bettersituated in Part I.]
Pascal Vagnat, 10 July 2003
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Flag used by the European Community - Tentative image byAntónio Martins, 17 August 2005
An unofficial European Community flag was displayed on the occasion of a visit to the Commission (Berlaymont, Brussels) by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, 20 May 1985 (photo).
The flag is blue with a yellow symbol, probably a single round "E".
Kristian Söderbergh &António Martins, 17 August 2005
