The flag of the Council of Europe is the banner of Europe's oldest and largest pan-European intergovernmental body, founded in 1949 in the aftermath of the Second World War. The Council's remit covers human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and it operates the European Court of Human Rights.
The design
The Flag of the Council of Europe is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses blue, gold, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| Gold | gold | Stands in for sunlight, mineral wealth or sovereign authority. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
Identical in design to the flag of the European Union — a circle of twelve gold stars on an azure field — but adopted by the Council of Europe a generation earlier and used independently by both bodies. The twelve stars represent completeness and unity; they are not a count of member states.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of the Council of Europe — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1955-12-08. It is credited to Arsène Heitz and Paul M. G. Lévy (1955). Earlier banners flown by reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of the Council of Europe should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | — | |
| Continent | Europe | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1955-12-08 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | blue, gold | — |
| Designer | Arsène Heitz and Paul M. G. Lévy (1955) | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The Council of Europe is wholly distinct from the European Union — the EU is twenty-seven members; the Council is forty-six and includes most of Europe except for Belarus and Russia (which was expelled in 2022).
About the organisation
CoE was founded in 1949. Its headquarters are in Strasbourg, France.
Member states
CoE has 46 member states. Membership current as of 2024-01.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
