European Union (EU) Flag
The European flag 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 was intended to represent Europe as a whole as opposed to any particular organisation such as the EU or the COE.
The flag was originally adopted by the Council of Europe on December 8, 1955, from one of many designs attributed to Arsène Heitz. The Council of Europe from the beginning desired it to be used by other regional organisations seeking European integration. The European Community (EC) adopted it on May 26, 1986. 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. The flag appears on the face of all euro currency banknotes, and the stars on euro coins as well as driving licences and licence plates issued in the member countries of the EU.
The number of stars on the flag is fixed at 12 and is not related to the number of member states of the 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. Myth has it that the Italian representative then objected that thirteen was an unlucky number, 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 because of the ubiquity of the number for groups in European cultures and traditions.
All flags banners are two-sided and come standard with two metal grommets. They are easily mounted on a flag pole or used as a wall hanging. The flags we sell are typically 14% - 64% heavier and are better stitched to assure durability.
We have partnered with leading manufacturers of our products to deliver the highest quality products at a low price. All products are fully inspected before leaving our warehouse to assure that you will be fully satisfied. All flags include a 3 month warranty to assure that you receive the utmost satisfaction.
