The flag of Europe or European flag consists of twelve golden stars forming a circle on a blue field. It is the official flag of the European Union. It was designed and adopted in 1955 by the Council of Europe (CoE) as a symbol for the whole of Europe.
Statue of the Blessed Virgin in Strasbourg Cathedral (1859)
The flag of Europe flown alongside the Flag of France on Villa Schutzenberger, seat of the European Audiovisual Observatory, an institution within the Council of Europe (2011 photograph)
Protesters in Kyiv waving Ukrainian and European flags during the Euromaidan demonstrations in 2013
The EU uses the emblem in a number of ways, here on vehicle registration plates. The "D" in this photo indicates Germany (Deutschland).
The Council of Europe is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it brings together 46 member states with a population of approximately 675 million as of 2023; it operates with an annual budget of approximately 500 million euros.
Plaque commemorating the first session of the Council of Europe Assembly at Strasbourg University
Session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly in the former House of Europe in Strasbourg in 1967. Willy Brandt, German Minister for Foreign Affairs, is speaking.
Winston Churchill's inaugural speech of the Council of Europe in The Hague
Council's Parliamentary Assembly hemicycle
