The Europe flag serves two purposes: it is the official flag of the European Union as well as the emblem for the same. The flag also represents the eurozone or euro countries. The flag is made up of 12 golden stars arranged in a circular fashion against a blue background. The background signifies the west, whereas the stars represent wholesomeness and the circle shape signifies unity. Contrary to popular belief, the 12 stars of the Europe flag do not represent the number of people in the Council of Europe or European Union but rather stands for every European citizen, and even those not part of the European integration. Two people designed the Europe flag for the Council of Europe in 1955, Paul Levy and Arsene Heitz. The Council of Europe then persuaded other European organizations to use this symbol in all their activities. The Europe flag is 2 by 3 and is a rectangular shape. The width is 1.5 times the height of the flag. 12 gold stars are
arranged in a circular manner at the center of the flag against a blue background and the radius is 1/3rd the height of the flag. The stars are in an upright position. They are also spaced in exactly the same ratio as the space between the 12 numbers in a standard clock. The blue background is actually a mix of reflex blue, magenta and cyan. The Pantone coloring system regulates the colors of the Europe flag. Like mentioned previously, the stars are 12 in number and do not signify the number of EU states. This is so because the Europe flag has actually been adopted from the Council of Europe, and the EU has no connection with the COE.
History of the flag:
In 1953, the 15 member team in the Council of Europe decided to have a symbol and it was decided that the symbol would have one star representing every member and this could not change later. However, West Germany objected to this saying that if that were the case, then the Saarland area, which was being disputed, would have its own sovereignty. Ultimately, they decided to go with 12 stars for the Europe flag that does not have any significance to politics but rather represents completeness and perfection. Twelve was chosen because of the many things in European traditions and cultures that had 12 as an important number like the twelve months, the twelve zodiac symbols, the twelve hours, the twelve gods, etc.
The European Union
Not only does the Europe flag represent the entire European Union, it also is the European Commission’s symbol. However, every other agency and body has their own emblems though it is based on the colors and design of the Europe flag. The one exception to this is the European Agency for Reconstruction. Based on the rules set by the European Union, all registration plates and driving licenses contain an image of the flag. The Europe flag is also depicted on the banknotes. Apart from the notes, even the coins have the flag’s twelve starts depicted on both the common and national sides.