Flag of Europe
The flag of Europe consists of a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background.
Although the flag is most commonly associated with the European Union (EU), it was initially used by the Council of Europe (COE), and thought to represent Europe as a whole as opposed to any particular organization such as the EU or the COE.
The flag was originally adopted by the Council of Europe on December 8, 1955, from a suggested design by the Chief Herald of Ireland. The Council of Europe from the beginning desired it to be used by other regional organizations seeking European integration. The European Community (EC) adopted it on May 26, 1986. The European Union, which was established by the Maastricht Treaty in the 1990s to replace the EC and encompass its functions, also adopted the flag. Since then the use of the flag has been controlled jointly by both the Council of Europe and the European Union.
The number of stars on the flag is fixed at 12 and is not related to the number of member states of EU. 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. Thirteen has traditionally been seen as unlucky, 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[1] because of the ubiquity of the number for groups in European cultures and traditions such as:
- 12 signs of the zodiac;
- 12 hours on a clock;
- 12 months in a year;
- 12 apostles;
- 12 Olympian gods;
- 12 tables of Roman Law.
The number has led to a number of unproved assertions that there is further meaning in the stars, for example its similarity to the twelve-star halo of the Virgin Mary seen in Roman Catholic art and thus part of a conspiracy to revive a Catholic supremacy or the Holy Roman Empire. Interestingly, some staunchly religious organisations make the counter-claim that the stars represent the Queen of Heaven in Babylonian myth and show the existence of an ungodly movement in the leadership of the EU. Most non-partisan authorities on the subject disregard such theories as myth [2].
The flag's design is also very similar to that of the International Paneuropean Union [3], an organization founded at the first half of the 20th century promoting European unity. This has led to further conspiracy theories, because this organization is currently led by Otto von Habsburg, the current head of the legendary Habsburg family which has produced at least 19 Holy Roman Emperors.
History accompanying the flag
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1949 | The Council of Europe is formed in the aftermath of the Second World War. |
| 1955 | The Council of Europe creates for itself what is now also the EU flag, as a focus for European unity |
| 1957 | European Economic Community founded by the Treaty of Rome: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - "The Six" |
| 1967 | European Communities formed by a merger of the EEC, Euratom (founded 1957) and the European Coal & Steel Community (founded 1951) |
| 1973 | United Kingdom joins the EC, together with Ireland and Denmark making "The Nine" (Norway opts to stay out) |
| 1981 | Greece joins, making "The Ten" |
| 1986 | Portugal and Spain join making "The Twelve" |
| 1986 | EC adopts (with permission) the Council of Europe Flag as its own. |
| 1992 | Maastricht Treaty. |
| 1993 | Maastricht Treaty Ratified. European Single Market completed. The European Union is launched. |
| 1995 | Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU making "The Fifteen" (Norway opted to stay out for the second time) |
| 2004 | Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta join the EU making "EU 25" |
See also European symbols.