Show love for Europe with our Europe Flag filter! My proposal was adopted unanimously on 8 December 1955, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Well, 'the cracks are starting to show' is a straight forward and pretty accurate analogy to throw in here (Theresa May's fall out over in Brussels last week comes to mind). [4] It consists of a circle of twelve five-pointed golden stars on a blue field. 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]. Fifteen golden five-pointed stars in a circle representing union, over a sky-blue background. The number of stars is fixed, 12 being the symbol of perfectionand unity. [34] 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. We all know the flag of Europe is 12 stars on a blue background. [103] Euro coins also display a circle of twelve stars on both the national and common sides. [109], The flag is usually flown by the government of the country holding the rotating presidency Council of Ministers. They stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. [94][111][112] On Europe Day 2008, the flag was flown for the first time above the German Reichstag. The council put forward this proposal, which had a green flag with a white and red Star of Liberation, and the Strasbourg coat of arms on the upper left-hand corner. [73] The European Council held in Milan on 28/29 June 1985 largely followed the recommendations of the Adonnino Committee. The combination of these This is the official European Union flag (EU) and the official Council of Europe flag (CoE). Use of the flag has also been reported as representing the European team at the Ryder Cup golf competition in the early 2000s, although most European participants preferred to use their own national flags. White was a symbol of purity, truth, and innocence 2. The blue background of heaven, the display of 12 in a circle certainly does point to a Marian belief. [failed verification][90], In Georgia, the flag has been on most government buildings since the coming to power of Mikheil Saakashvili (2007),[91] who used it during his inauguration,[92] 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. Set of European flags which start to resemble more the actual flag of the EU. One of the curators of the Strasbourg Museum and member of the Secretariat-General, Martin-Levy, proposed a white ground with a green cross bearing in the centre the coat-of-arms of the Town of Strasbourg. On 24 March, the European Commission adopted its first EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, and a proposal for a European Child Guarantee. It fell out of use with the adoption of the twelve-star flag by the Parliament in 1983. The circle is a symbol of unity. The number will remain 12 no matter how many countries there are in the European Union" (quote from a leaflet "Building Europe Together"). António Martins, 27 May 2006. I am kinda used to flags meaning something (Like the Union Flag, Stars and Stripes actually representing what their country is made up of) so do the 12 stars represent anything. 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. [101] A: The Flag of Europe consists of a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background. An official board publicizing Portuguese State and European Union budgeting in somebus company investment, symbolized by the respective flags, shows the European Union flag with white stars. The flag has also been adopted as a symbol for EU policies and expansionism by EU-sceptics. 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}. Interviewees were shown "a sticker of the European flag" and asked to identify it. In 1983, the European Parliament decided that the Communities’ flag should be that used by the Council of Europe. The number of stars on the flag is fixed at 12, and is not related to the number of member states of the EU. Personally I don't like the flag at all, its dull and doesn't represent anything, I prefer this one at least it reflects the EU more: http://en.wikipedia. The EU flag "is a shared flag, blue with 12 gold stars symbolizing completeness. The five-pointed star is used on many national flags and represents aspiration and education. The design was similar to Salvador de Madariaga's, but rather than a constellation, the stars were arranged in a circle. Multi-coloured: It was proposed that the flag could contain all the colours the flags of the member states had. … Electric Plug. It was created in 1955 and adopted by the European Union, then the European Economic Community, in 1984. Burning of the EU flag has been reported from other anti-EU rallies since. [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. Christians of the country associate the colors with the Holy Trinity: 1. White represents peace and honesty 2. [105] Diplomatic missions of EU member states fly the EU flag alongside their national flag. The design was a blue field with a red cross inside an orange circle at the centre. 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". This cross would consist of four "E"s backed on to a square. 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. Colors After 1996, the flag of Ethiopia was slightly modified and officially launched on 28th August 2009. "[93], It was used in 2008 by pro-western Serbian voters ahead of an election.[94]. The second was a variant by Arsène Heitz, who worked for the Council's postal service and had submitted dozens of designs,[35] one of which was accepted by the Assembly. Pan-Slavism or slavic inheritance (along with the blue and white color). Probably Louis Wirion, who had already talked about reverting the colours in his first proposal. Communism or socialism. Q: Is there a Marian interpretation of the symbolism on the European Flag? 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. In Italy the European Flag must be displayed alongside the national flag in official ceremonies and over public buildings. It was designed by Arsène Heitz and Paul M. G. Lévy in 1955 and adopted on 8 December of that year. Furthermore, the cross appears in most of the European Council members' flags, and it is the oldest and most noble symbol in Europe. 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. In January 1951 J.E.Dylan proposed on a letter this and other flag with the Star of Liberation surrounded by stars (one for each union member). [3][28], Fifteen-star proposal adopted by the Consultative Assembly in 1953, For the flag of the Council of Europe, many stylistic proposals were made in regards to colours and symbolism. 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. so that, as of 2018, 17 out of 27 members have recognised the emblem as a flag representing "allegiance to the EU": A similar design to Louis Wirion's flag proposal, but the cross is symmetrical. The European Council appointed an ad hoc committee, named "Committee for 'a People's Europe'" (Adonnino Committee). The same flag was adopted by the European Parliament in 1983. These first proposals were made 19 January 1950 by Paul Levy in a letter to the Secretary-General. ", Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia, Flag of the European Coal and Steel Community, Chairman of the European Union Military Committee, European Fisheries Control Agency#Pennant, Centre virtuel de la connaissance sur l'Europe, Guide graphique relatif à l'emblème européen, "Guide graphique relatif à l'emblème européen", "Graphical specifications for the European Emblem", "European Union Flag : University of Dayton, Ohio", "Armorial des prélats Français du XIXème siècle", "Der Sternenkranz ist die Folge eines Gelübdes", Council of Europe's new visual identity- Guide, Official Journal of the European Union, 2007 C 306–2, p. 267, "EU Parliament set to use European flag, anthem", "No prolonged mandate for Barroso, MEPs warn", Letter to the secretary general of the Council of Europe from Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, Letter from Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi regarding a Muslim modification to the Pan-Europa flag design, "Memorandum from Paul Levy to Jacques-Camille Paris (Secretary General) about having a cross on the European flag", "Memorandum from Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi on the European flag (Gstaad, 27 July 1950)", "Memorandumpresented to the Council of Europe by Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi", "Memorandum of the Secretariat General on the European Flag", "Sketch of a flag for the United States of Europe ("Union Stati Europa")", "Proposal by Camille Manné (Founder of the SICOP printing firm, Bischheim, Alsace, France)", "Flag showing the design by Camille Manet (Founder of the SICOP printing firm, Bischheim, Alsace, France)", "Proposals for flags submitted to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe (December 1951)", "Memorandum from Paul Levy to Antoine Fischer (Saisons d'Alsace?) It is also defaced with the initials of the former Western European Union in two languages.[123]. 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. 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. 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). Heitz, as in his previous January proposal, he suggested that each member state could add its own flag to the design. It is also often used to indicate eurozone countries. Against the blue sky of the Western world, the stars symbolise the peoples of Europe in a form of a circle, a sign of union. This is because it originally was the flag of the Council of Europe, and does not have a relationship with the EU. CMYK: 0, 0.2, 1, 0. In 1985, it was adopted by all EU leaders as the official emblem of the European Communities, later to become the European Union. Europe Filter for Facebook profile pictures, Twitter profile pictures, Youtube profile pictures, cover photos, banners, and logos. Give feedback about this website or report a problem, Institutions, bodies & agencies – contact & visit details, Public contracts in the EU – rules and guidelines, Graphics guide to the European flag (emblem), Beneficiaries of EU funding should use the European emblem (flag) and not the logo of any of the European Institutions or bodies, Using the EU emblem - organisations & people outside the EU institutions, Emblems of all European institutions and bodies, Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), The European Data Protection Board (EDPB). Blue flag with a yellow eight-pointed star in a red circle. Click here to add the EU Flag to your profile: https://app.profileoverlays.com/Simple/eu-flag-overlay Jump to The original logo of the European Broadcasting Union used the twelve stars on a blue background adding ray beams to connect the countries. The EU also inherited the emblem's use when it was formed in 1993, being the successor organisation to the EC starting from 1 December 2009 (date of entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty). However, as the proposed constitution failed ratification, the mention of all state-like emblems, including the flag, were removed from the replacement Treaty of Lisbon of 2007. Courage. [95] It was flown during the 2013 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine,[96][97][98] Numerous proposals were looked into. Green also depicted hope, and the green cross over a white background was a design that had not been used yet. Caillon tells of having met the former Council of Europe employee by chance in August 1987 at Lisieux in front of the Carmelite monastery. The European flag symbolises both the European Union and, more broadly, the identity and unity of Europe. [105] It consists of a circle of twelve five-pointed golden stars on a blue field. Copy and paste any flag emoji from this list and it will show on all supported platforms. Mary & the EU Flag — Our Lady’s Crown. The flag is used by the Cabinet of Ukraine, Prime Minister of Ukraine, and MFA UA during official meetings. But it also refers to the Zodiac and the Council of Light. Other reconstructions were made from descriptions in the documents and images provided by the European Council. 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. 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. Its status in the European Communities was inherited by the European Union upon its formation in 1993. The Flag: European Union… Castle. "[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. [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). 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. [28] Alternatively, it is sometimes called the. The proposal to adopt it as official flag of the European Union failed with the ratification of the European Constitution in 2005, and mention of all emblems suggesting statehood was removed from the Treaty of Lisbon of 2007, although sixteen member states signed a declaration supporting the continued use of the flag. The stars of the flag “stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe”, according to the EU website. "However," explained Pro. In November 2014, the speaker of the Hungarian Parliament László Kövér ordered the removal of the EU flag from the parliament building, following an incident in which a member of parliament had "defenestrated" two EU flags from a fourth story window. The meaning of the flag’s symbolism can be found in an image of Marian devotion which appears in the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation: The a huge sign became visible in the sky – the figure of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a … In many paintings of the Virgin Mary as Stella Maris she is crowned with a circle of twelve stars. The EU flag "is a shared flag, blue with 12 gold stars symbolizing completeness. [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. 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. So the EU flag displaying a circle of 12 stars has a deeper meaning even than the crown of the Virgin Mary. [11], In 1987, following the adoption of the flag by the EC, Arsène Heitz (1908–1989), one of the designers who had submitted proposals for the flag's design, suggested a religious inspiration for it. However he agreed that the white ground should be left with a green cross provided the Strasbourg coat of arms at the centre was only used for the pennants of Council personages and flags flown on Council buildings, and omitted in all other cases. The flag followed the yellow and blue colour scheme however instead of twelve stars there were the letters EP and PE (initials of the European Parliament in the six community languages at the time) surrounded by a wreath. The rules he stated where:[39], After these statements, Coudenhove-Kalergi proposed that the Pan-European movement flag would be the perfect one to fit this criteria[40], 15 July 1951, the consultative assembly put forward a final memorandum on the European flag. [86] 2 talking about this. One was by Salvador de Madariaga, the founder of the College of Europe, who suggested a constellation of stars on a blue background[28] (positioned according to capital cities, with a large star for Strasbourg, the seat of the Council). And hey, what does Europe need a flag for anyway? An article published in Die Welt in August 1998 alleged that it was Lévy himself who was inspired to introduce a "Marian" element as he walked past a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Protesters during the Greek government-debt crisis of 2012 "burned the EU flag and shouted 'EU out' ". [37] Officially adopted on 8 December 1955, the flag was unveiled at the Château de la Muette in Paris on 13 December 1955. EU Council President Charles Michel paid tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia on Thursday, placing a plant at the site where she was killed by a car bomb in Bidnija in 2017. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. [24], The EU emblem ("EU flag") is depicted on the euro banknotes. [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). European Union Flag. "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." Flags List of country flag emojis. Similarity to EU flag 'coincidence', insists Queen's dresser. This is the most similar flag to the current one, with 12 stars instead of 15, and a star in the middle to probably represent, Blue field with a five-pointed 12-star circle, Union flag representing the EU (27 members). [94], The flag has also been displayed in the context of EU military operations (EUFOR Althea). 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. This window, a work by Parisian master Max Ingrand, shows a blessing Madonna underneath a circle of 12 stars on dark blue ground. on occasions of "European Union Events" (for example, at a European Council meeting), where the European flag is flown alongside all national flags of member states, the national flags are placed in alphabetical order (according to their name in the main language of that state) with the European flag either at the head, or the far-right, of the order of flags. It is often displayed in the context of Europe Day, on 9 May. 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 2017, president of France Emmanuel Macron signed a declaration endorsing the 2007 statement,[115] "However," explained Pro. The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries, though the circle is a symbol of unity. "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." Paul M. G. Lévy drew up the exact design of the new flag. In 2009, Czech President Václav Klaus, a eurosceptic, refused to fly the flag from his castle. [83], In 2015, a set of commemorative Euro coin was issued on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the emblem by the European Communities. Yellow: Hope and love for the country 3. The symbols proposed where the following[41]. [110], Extraordinary flying of the flag is common on Europe Day, celebrated annually on 9 May. 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. emblazoned on an escutcheon. [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 of Europe or the European flag is an official symbol used by two separate organisations — the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU) — as a symbol representing Europe. The flag became a symbol of European integration of Ukraine in the 2010s, particularly after Euromaidan. The European Council adopted it was an "emblem" for the European Communities in 1985. The blue background resembles the sky and symbolises truth and the intellect. [27][contradictory], The Council of Europe in 1950 appointed a committee to study the question of adopting a symbol. ... the real meaning of this flag becomes apparent. [116] In Germany, the federal flag code of 1996 is only concerned with the German flag,[117] but some of the states have legislated additional provisions for the European flag, such as Bavaria in its flag regulation of 2001, which mandates that the European flag take the third order of precedence, after the federal and state flags, except on Europe Day, where it is to take the first order of precedence.[118]. Rome, 7 December (Zenit) - December 8 is a very special day for Europe: in 1955, on that day, the European Ministers' delegates officially adopted the European flag designed by Arsene Heitz, who today is an octogenarian artist in Strasbourg. In national usage, national protocol usually[clarification needed] 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). [31], The Consultative Assembly narrowed their choice to two designs. Mary & the EU Flag — Our Lady’s Crown. 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. [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. November 1996, Flaggen-Verwaltungsanordnung (VwAoFlag) in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 4.