The European flag consists of 12 golden stars in a circle on a
blue background. The stars symbolise the ideals of unity,
solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. The number
of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries,
though the circle is a symbol of unity. History of the European
flag The history of the flag goes back to 1955. The Council of
Europe - defending human rights and promoting European culture –
adopted the present design for its own use. Over the following
years the Council of Europe encouraged the emerging European
institutions to adopt the flag as well. In 1983, the European
Parliament adopted the flag. In 1985, it was adopted by all EU
leaders as the official emblem of the European Union (called the
European Communities at the time). All European institutions now
use an emblem of their own.