Number of stars Design Member states represented by added stars (prior to 1986) Duration Six The Inner Six: Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands 1958 – 31 December 1972 Nine Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom 1 January 1973 – 31 December 1980 Ten Greece 1 January 1981 – 31 December 1985 Twelve Portugal and Spain (the number of stars was subsequently fixed at twelve; the principle of having one star per member state was thus abandoned).