[85], Following the 2004 Summer Olympics, President Romano Prodi expressed his hope "to see the EU Member State teams in Beijing [viz., the 2008 games] carry the flag of the European Union alongside their own national flag as a symbol of our unity". The EU flag "is a shared flag, blue with 12 gold stars symbolizing completeness. Flag of Europe - The flag and emblem of the Council of Europe and the European Union. There was a proposal in 2003 to deface national civil ensigns with the EU emblem. For a gallery of flags of countries in Europe, see, 1983–present: From European Communities to European Union. The design is probably inspired in the, Blue flag with a red and white eight-pointed, Blue flag with a star in the middle surrounded by twelve secondary stars. Fifteen five-pointed green stars in three rows on a white ground. It should be a symbol of our common civilisation. Irrespective of the statements by Paul M. G. Levy and the recent reconstruction by Susan Hood, crediting Arsène Heitz with the original design still seems to me the soundest option. In heraldic terms, the European flag is the banner of arms, i.e. In Belarus, it was used on protest marches alongside the banned former national flag and flags of opposition movements during the protests of 2004–2006. The European flag symbolises both the European Union and, more broadly, the identity and unity of Europe. The "D" in this photo indicates Germany (Deutschland). The EU flag "is a shared flag, blue with 12 gold stars symbolizing completeness. Italy has incorporated the EU flag into its flag code. Colors After 1996, the flag of Ethiopia was slightly modified and officially launched on 28th August 2009. This article is more than 1 year old. Multiple stars: Each star could represent a member. This committee submitted a substantial report, including wide-ranging suggestions, from organising a "European lottery" to campaigning for the introduction of local voting rights for foreign nationals throughout Europe. To the question "Who really designed the flag?" Click here to add the EU Flag to your profile: https://app.profileoverlays.com/Simple/eu-flag-overlay Jump to Dezember 2001, President of Hungarian parliament orders removal of EU flag, "EU flags disappear from Polish government press briefings", "Un nouveau look pour la région Bruxelles-capitale", "Gewest gaat voor nieuwe vlag met hartjeslogo", http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/53480.stm, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/euco-sibiu-towards_a_european_defence_union_0.pdf. It comprises 12 stars that morph into human figures embracing the birth of a new Europe." "not a compromise that the Commission itself cared much to abide by: from the outset, it generally used the terms 'Community flag' or, bolder still, 'European flag'." The official status of the emblem as the flag of the European Union was to be formalised as part of the Constitution of the European Union. Strasbourg's Coat of Arms: To symbolize the official seat of the. He also proposed these two designs to have a blue background. The diameter of each star is equal to one-ninth of the height of the hoist.[21]. [124] Sometime later, the Parliament chose to use a logo consisting of a stylised hemicycle and the EU flag at the bottom right. They stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. Adopted 8th December 1955. All the stars are upright (one point straight up), have five points and are spaced equally, like the hour positions on the face of a clock. This is the. The flag is used by different European organisations as well as by unified European sporting teams under the name of Team Europe. CMYK: 0, 0.2, 1, 0. Alan Bairner, "Order for European Union Events The European Union Flag: The national flags in order of their name in their primary local language. It is also defaced with the initials of the former Western European Union in two languages.[123]. He suggests how to proceed as regards his proposal for a crescent shape to be added", "Design by Arsène Heitz – blue flag with the Turkish flag surrounded by stars in the top left-hand corner", "Design by Arsène Heitz – blue flag with the British flag on the top left, and 15 stars laid out in two concentric circles in the middle", "Design by Arsène Heitz – blue flag with the French flag on the top left, and 15 stars laid out in two concentric circles in the middle", "Azure design with a wreath of 15 stars in the middle", "The Assembly adopts a heraldic description of the flag design", "Design by Arsène Heitz – Blue flag with a yellow eight-pointed star in a red circle", "Design by Arsène Heitz – Blue flag with a red and white eight-pointed compass rose in the middle", "Design by Arsène Heitz – Blue flag with a star in the middle surrounded by twelve secondary stars", "The Committee of Ministers chooses the 12-star flag on an azure background as the European Flag. Ukraine is not a part of the EU but is a member of the Council of Europe. But as the adoption of a flag was strongly reminiscent of a national flag representing statehood and was extremely controversial with some member states (in particular the United Kingdom), the Council of Europe's "flag of Europe" design was adopted only with the official status of a "logo". Flag of Europe at large created by the Council of Europe, then adopted as one of the official symbols of the European Communities and later of the European Union, "European flag" redirects here. Green also depicted hope, and the green cross over a white background was a design that had not been used yet. In October 2000, the then-new British Embassy in Berlin sparked controversy between the UK and Germany and the EU when the embassy did not have a second external flagpole for the EU flag. Meaning EU European Union (if used as an aggregate it should comprise all Member States at the time to which the data refers) In French tables/graphs, the term ‘Union Européenne’ should also be abbreviated by ‘EU’. This page was last edited on 21 March 2021, at 11:53. To mark the 30th anniversary of the decision by EU leaders to adopt the flag as an EU emblem, the 19 euro area countries are issuing a special commemorative coin. A leaflet, “Building Europe Together,” given to visitorsto EU headquarters in Brussels, says: “The European flag (is) a shared flag,blue with twelve gold stars symbolizing completeness. The red color of the flags symbolizes: Blood. It was never officially adopted by the EU or any organisation, but it was used as the logo of the Austrian EU Presidency in 2006.[79]. In 1987, Heitz would claim that his inspiration had been the crown of twelve stars of the Woman of the Apocalypse, often found in Marian iconography (see below). [28] It was created in 1955 and adopted by the European Union, then the European Economic Community, in … [20], According to graphical specifications published online by the Council of Europe in 2004, the flag is rectangular with 2:3 proportions: its fly (width) is one and a half times the length of its hoist (height). Kalergi was very committed to defending the cross as "the great symbol of Europe's moral unity", the Red Cross in particular being "recognized by the whole world, by Christian and non-Christian nations[,] as a symbol of international charity and of the brotherhood of man",[30] but the proposal was rejected by Turkey (a member of the Council of Europe since 1949) on grounds of its religious associations[31] in spite of Kalergi's suggestion of adding a crescent alongside the cross to overcome the Muslim objections. Green represents the Holy Spirit 2… It is also often used to indicate eurozone countries. Why blue? I am telling you this, Father, because you are wearing the little blue cross of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima". The countries of the European Union can be sorted alphabetically on the name of the country, but also on population and size of the country. It has been in wide official use by the EC since the 1990s, but it has never been given official status in any of the EU's treaties. "While some fans of the European players in golf's Ryder Cup unfurl the flag of the European Union, many persist in waving their national flags despite the multinational composition of the European team." A similar design to Louis Wirion's flag proposal, but the cross is symmetrical. Colors Ancient and Heraldic traditions associate the colors of the flag with deep symbolism. The original logo of the European Broadcasting Union used the twelve stars on a blue background adding ray beams to connect the countries. [81][clarification needed], In September 2008, the Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs proposed a formal change in the institution's rules of procedure to make "better use of the symbols". [130], Chairman Michail Kostarakos wearing the heraldic badge, Moldovan and Ukrainian flags displayed as supporters, symbolising the EU's border assistance mission since 2005, The European emblem emblazoned on a chair at the occasion of the 2004 signing of the European Constitution in Rome, The European emblem emblazoned on the Eiffel Tower in 2008, The European emblem emblazoned on the carpet in the European Court of Human Rights, Arms of the European Air Transport Command, Arms of the European Union Military Committee, Arms of the European Union Military Staff. In 2017, president of France Emmanuel Macron signed a declaration endorsing the 2007 statement,[115] Poucher proposed a federal flag which was virtually the reverse of the flag of the United States of America, with blue bands and a red quarter in one corner. Of course, the EU is the New Roman Empire, ruled the anti-christ (Pope), and the evidence (apart from the supposed meaning of the flag) is that it's founding treaty is the Treaty of Rome, the absence of God in the draft Constitution, the rapid secularisation in European societies, and of course the Vatican (also in Rome) deciding to adopt the euro. Set of European flags which start to resemble more the actual flag of the EU. Green: Development of the country, the fertility of the land and labor 2. The flag became a symbol of European integration of Ukraine in the 2010s, particularly after Euromaidan. Furthermore, several colours were also proposed: In the end, the flag of Europe was chosen to have 12 five-pointed golden stars in a circle over a blue background, probably inspired by the Pan-European flag and other designs such as Salvador de Madriaga's and Arsène Heitz's proposals. [122][citation needed], 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; now defunct), 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. [5] The Council of Europe urged that it be adopted by other European organisations, and in 1985 the European Communities (EC) adopted it. The circle is a symbol of unity. Q: Is there a Marian interpretation of the symbolism on the European Flag? [38], Shortly after this design considerations by Paul Levy, on 27 July 1950, Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, president of the Pan-European movement wrote a memorandum which contained some rules that a flag for such union should follow. [125], Likewise, Kosovo uses blue, yellow and stars in its flag, which has been mocked as a "none too subtle nod to the flag of the European Union, which is about to become Kosovo's new best friend as it takes over protector status from the United Nations". In 1983, the European Parliament decided that the Communities’ flag should be that used by the Council of Europe. Each member state, when using the flag, could insert their coat of arms in the heart of the cross. He claimed that the circle of stars was based on the iconographic tradition of showing the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Woman of the Apocalypse, wearing a "crown of twelve stars".[12][15]. The flag of Europe or the European flag[note 1] is an official symbol used by two separate organisations — the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU) — as a symbol representing Europe. Heitz, as in his previous January proposal, he suggested that each member state could add its own flag to the design. [34][better source needed] The Committee of Ministers (the Council's main decision making body) agreed with the Assembly that the flag should be a circle of stars, but opted for a fixed number of twelve stars, "representing perfection and entirety". Finally, Levy proposed that the arms of Strasbourg was an important element to be added as it represented where the council would be, and being located in the heart of the cross meant that the council was the point where the European roads met. [21] The base colour of the flag is defined as Pantone "Reflex Blue", while the golden stars are portrayed in Pantone "Yellow": The 2013 logo of the Council of Europe has the colours:[24], The twelve-star "flag of Europe" was designed in 1950 and officially adopted by the Council of Europe in 1955. In addition, all European institutions now have their own emblems. Flags List of country flag emojis. It was Heitz who stopped him and declared "I was the one who designed the European flag. The number of stars is fixed, 12 being the symbol of perfectionand unity. This cross would consist of four "E"s backed on to a square. Outside the EU, it was used in the context of several of the "colour revolutions" during the 2000s. Order of precedence at the state visit of Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras in Berlin (24 August 2012): The Greek flag takes the first order of precedence, followed by the German flag on the right (seen on the left when facing the building) and the European flag in third order, on the left. [19] The Regional Office for Cultural Affairs describe this stained glass window called "Le vitrail de l'Europe de Max Ingrand" (The Glass Window of Europe of Max Ingrand). [89] Similar uses were reported from Moldova. It features a circle of 12 gold stars on a blue background. Sixteen out of twenty-seven member states in 2007 signed the declaration recognising "the flag with a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background" as representing "the sense of community of the people in the European Union and their allegiance to it. [99] Red symbolized military strength, martyrdom, and warriorhood 3. so that, as of 2018, 17 out of 27 members have recognised the emblem as a flag representing "allegiance to the EU": [94][111][112] On Europe Day 2008, the flag was flown for the first time above the German Reichstag. Add the Flag of Europe to your profile picture to support Europe and the European people. Mary & the EU Flag — Our Lady’s Crown. Other reconstructions were made from descriptions in the documents and images provided by the European Council. emblazoned on an escutcheon. The two columns are on either side of a shield of 4 quarters - a castle, a lion with a crown, red and yellow vertical stripes, chain mail, with three fleurs-de-lis in an oval in the center. In the 2005 Islamic protests Furthermore, the cross appears in most of the European Council members' flags, and it is the oldest and most noble symbol in Europe. [37] Officially adopted on 8 December 1955, the flag was unveiled at the Château de la Muette in Paris on 13 December 1955. Flag proposal by Camille Manné, a Strasbourg Citizen, which incorporated all the colours of the European flags, made by doing a statistical analysis of the colours of the European flags. Lévy replied: I did, and I calculated the proportions to be used for the geometric design. It should not provoke any national rivalry. In response, Greenpeace projected an image of the flag onto the castle and attempted to fly the flag from the building themselves. Furthermore, some reconstructions were assisted by images of the flag sketches stored in the Digital Research in European Studies. It fell out of use with the adoption of the twelve-star flag by the Parliament in 1983. He proposed a flag consisting of a green Cross of Europe on a white ground. [29] The number of stars on the flag is fixed at 12, and is not related to the number of member states of the EU. The stars of the flag “stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe”, according to the EU website. "[80], In reaction to the removal of the flag from the treaty, the European Parliament, which had supported the inclusion of such symbols, backed a proposal to use these symbols "more often" on behalf of the Parliament itself; Jo Leinen, MEP for Germany, suggested that the Parliament should take "an avant-garde role" in their use. appeared in the case of the Cross of Burgundy, emblem of the, Following 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. But also, maybe the fact that leaving the EU isn’t just going mean one less star on the flag and a clean cut Britain-shaped hole in the map of Europe. The Council of Europe gave the flag a symbolic description in the following terms,[8] though the official symbolic description adopted by the EU omits the reference to the "Western world":[9][10].mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. a design was based on the Olympic rings, eight silver rings on a blue background, rejected due to the rings' similarity with "dial", "chain" and "zeros", or a large yellow star on a blue background, rejected due to its similarity with the so-called Burnet flag and the flag of the Belgian Congo. I S. 1729) 13. An official board publicizing Portuguese State and European Union budgeting in some bus company investment, symbolized by the respective flags, shows the European Union flag … The design was conceived in 1955, and officially adopted later that year by the Council of Europe as a symbol for the whole of Europe. A cross: Symbol of Christianity, Europe's crossroads, reminiscent of. The European Parliament took the initiative in seeking a flag to be adopted by the European Communities. An illustration of the myth Coincidences of European Flag Designer Inspired by Virgin's Image in Paris' Rue du Bac. … Electric Plug. Emoji flags are supported on all major platforms except Windows, which displays two-letter country codes instead of emoji flag images.. He had circulated his flag round many European capitals and the concept had found favour. They stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. [95] It was flown during the 2013 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine,[96][97][98] The Marian aspect of the European flag being a "secret" to ensure its approbation. [104], It is also depicted on many driving licences and vehicle registration plates issued in the Union. This design was proposed by those who believed that a green cross on a white background would be too easily soiled. [6], The blazon given by the EU in 1996 describe the design as: "On an azure field a circle of twelve golden mullets, their points not touching. The flag is used by the Cabinet of Ukraine, Prime Minister of Ukraine, and MFA UA during official meetings. So it was decided to put 12 stars in a circle on the European flag, representing unity among the peoples of Europe. Pantone recommendations for PMS 287: RGB #003087, CMYK 100.75.2.18 (. White represents peace and honesty 2. Alwin Mondon, a cartographer of Bad Godesberg, proposed a white triangle, symbol of culture, on various fields. In Ireland[119][120] Shortly after the first direct elections in 1979 a draft resolution was put forward on the issue. The flag of Europe has 12 yellow (gold) stars in a circle placed on a blue field. It consists of a government minister from each member state and meets in different compositions depending on the policy area being addressed. Video: The Ridiculous Meaning of Europe's Flag, Explained The European flag consists of a simple blue background with 12 gold stars arranged in a circle… Courage. Take a look at the winning design. The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. This window, a work by Parisian master Max Ingrand, shows a blessing Madonna underneath a circle of 12 stars on dark blue ground. "Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg, 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." "However," explained Pro. [72] Under the header of "strengthening of the Community's image and identity", the Committee suggested the introduction of "a flag and an emblem", recommending a design based on the Council of Europe flag, but with the addition of "a gold letter E" in the center of the circle of stars. "[93], It was used in 2008 by pro-western Serbian voters ahead of an election.[94]. The 2004 guideline published online by the CoE recommends "RGB:0/51/153 (hexadecimal: 003399)" for "PANTONE REFLEX BLUE" and "RGB:255/204/0 (hexadecimal: FFCC00)" for "PANTONE YELLOW" for the, RGB and CMYK values are those given in the 2013 recommendation. The 2000 Italian flag code expressly replaces the Italian flag with the European flag in precedence when dignitaries from other EU countries visit – for example the EU flag would be in the middle of a group of three flags rather than the Italian flag. He proposes a red cross", "European Flag: Memorandum by the Secretariat-General", "Proposals for European flags from Arsène Heitz (1952–1955)", "Salvador de Madariaga proposes a design for the European flag", "Letter from Arsène Heitz to F. Caracciolo (Clerk of the Assembly). Its design is in the form of four horizontal stripes, blue, green, yellow and black, and a chevron horizontally divided in red and white adjacent to the hoist. [28], Among the unsuccessful proposals was the flag of Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi's International Paneuropean Union, which he had himself recently adopted for the European Parliamentary Union. This is the official European Union flag (EU) and the official Council of Europe flag (CoE). [73] The European Council held in Milan on 28/29 June 1985 largely followed the recommendations of the Adonnino Committee. The symbols proposed where the following[41]. Interviewees were shown "a sticker of the European flag" and asked to identify it. [121] In November 2015, the newly elected Polish government under Beata Szydło removed the EU flag from government press conferences. [100] Estonia sparks fury after REMOVING EU flags from parliament ‘symbolic meaning’ ESTONIA has been urged to replace European Union flags in its parliament after … Red: strength, and the bloodshed for freedom Aside from the precise meaning, there are various other interpretations of the flag. The Flag of European Union may seem far removed from the Image of Our Lady Mary, but honoured Lady Aquila gives an interesting view of the relation between the symbolism of Our Lady's Crown of Stars and the star-circle of the European Flag. As far as the colours are concerned, he proposed them to be white and green, colours of the European Movement, which was of great significance since 1947. [86] [78], In 2002, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas designed a new flag, dubbed the "barcode", as it displayed the colours of the national flags of the EU member states in vertical stripes. A: The Flag of Europe consists of a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background. The struggle for independence, specifically the bloodshed caused for it. He wanted to do national flags incorporating the Council of Europe flag. Therefore, the dates shown are the oldest dates on which the flag was first recorded. In an early instance, Macedonian protesters burned "the flag of the EU" in the context of EU involvement in the 2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia. [110], Extraordinary flying of the flag is common on Europe Day, celebrated annually on 9 May. The resolution proposed that the Communities' flag should be that of the Council of Europe[3] and it was adopted by the Parliament on 11 April 1983.[28]. Specifically, the flag would be present in all meeting rooms (not just the hemicycle) and at all official events. Paul M. G. Lévy, then Director of Information at the Council of Europe responsible for designing the flag, in a 1989 statement maintained that he had not been aware of any religious connotations.[16]. [18] The overall design of the Madonna is inspired by the banner of the cathedral's Congrégation Mariale des Hommes, and the twelve stars are found on the statue venerated by this congregation inside the cathedral (twelve is also the number of members of the congregation's council). [75], The Communities began to use the "emblem" as its de facto flag from 1986, raising it outside the Berlaymont building (the seat of the European Commission) for the first time on 29 May 1986. 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. This is because it originally was the flag of the Council of Europe, and does not have a relationship with the EU. White was a symbol of purity, truth, and innocence 2. against the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, the Danish flag was most frequently burned, but (as the cartoons were reprinted in many European countries), some protesters opted for burning "the EU flag" instead. If there’s one thing I learned from those Autoglass repair … Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. 52% of those interviewed gave one of the correct answers, 15% gave a wrong answer (naming another institution, such as NATO or the United Nations), and 35% could or would not identify it. In 2009, Czech President Václav Klaus, a eurosceptic, refused to fly the flag from his castle. Mary & the EU Flag — Our Lady’s Crown. Blue flag with a yellow eight-pointed star in a red circle. He proposes a red cross on a green background, inspired by Charlemagne's standard", "Extract of a letter from George Coedes on the Turks and the cross", "Letter from Paul Levy to Salvador de Madariaga on Turkish opposition to a cross", "Letter from Paul Levy to Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi on Turkish opposition to a cross", "Letter from Paul Levy to Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi.