Flag of the European Coal and Steel Community
Encyclopedia
The flag of the European Coal and Steel Community was a horizontal bicolour flag defaced with between six and seven stars which represented the European Coal and Steel Community
(ECSC) between 1958 (six years after the ECSC was founded) until 2002 when the Community was merged into the European Union
(EU). Prior to 1958 the ECSC did not have a flag, and no other flag has been used by a historical part of the European Union
other than the flag of Europe.
s equivalent to the number of states
belonging to the community (until 1986, when the number was frozen at twelve). These stars were equally divided between each strip, aligned close to the centre border (if there were an odd number of stars, then the smaller number would be on the top stripe.
in Brussels
, six years after the establishment of the Community. At the Expo, its rivalling flag, the flag of Europe, was also on one of its first public displays.
The number of stars began at six and increased with the membership of the Community until 1986 when it reached twelve. After this it was decided not to increase the number of stars to reflect the new members joining in the 1990s. This kept it inline with the flag of Europe (used by its sister organisations) which displayed twelve stars representing perfection and unity.
The Community eventually merged into the European Community (part of the European Union) in 2002, and on this day the ECSC flag outside the European Commission
in Brussels
was lowered for the final time by President
Romano Prodi
and replaced with the EU flag.
European Coal and Steel Community
The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
(ECSC) between 1958 (six years after the ECSC was founded) until 2002 when the Community was merged into the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU). Prior to 1958 the ECSC did not have a flag, and no other flag has been used by a historical part of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
other than the flag of Europe.
Design
The flag consisted of two horizontal stripes, blue on the top and black on the bottom. Black stood for coal while the blue stood for steel, the two resources the community managed. There were a number of gold, later white, starStar
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s equivalent to the number of states
Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
belonging to the community (until 1986, when the number was frozen at twelve). These stars were equally divided between each strip, aligned close to the centre border (if there were an odd number of stars, then the smaller number would be on the top stripe.
History
The flag was first unveiled at the 1958 ExpositionExpo '58
Expo 58, also known as the Brussels World’s Fair, Brusselse Wereldtentoonstelling or Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Bruxelles, was held from 17 April to 19 October 1958...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, six years after the establishment of the Community. At the Expo, its rivalling flag, the flag of Europe, was also on one of its first public displays.
The number of stars began at six and increased with the membership of the Community until 1986 when it reached twelve. After this it was decided not to increase the number of stars to reflect the new members joining in the 1990s. This kept it inline with the flag of Europe (used by its sister organisations) which displayed twelve stars representing perfection and unity.
The Community eventually merged into the European Community (part of the European Union) in 2002, and on this day the ECSC flag outside the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
was lowered for the final time by President
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
and replaced with the EU flag.
Evolution of designs
| Number of stars | Design | Member states represented by added stars (prior to 1986) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six |  |
The Inner six Inner Six The Inner Six, or simply The Six, are the six founding member states of the European Communities. This was in contrast to the outer seven who formed the European Free Trade Association rather than be involved in supranational European integration .-History:The inner six are those who responded to... : Belgium, France, West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... , Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands |
1958 – |
| Nine | Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom | – | |
| Ten | Greece | – | |
| Twelve |  |
Portugal and Spain (the number of stars was subsequently fixed at twelve; the principle of having the stars represent member states was thus abandoned). | – |
External links
- Video of the lowering of the flag for the last time – European NAvigatorEuropean NAvigatorEuropean NAvigator was the former name of the digital library on the history of European integration and related institutions. The research project is now online at www.cvce.eu, a website dedicated to European integration studies....
- European Coal and Steel Community – Flags of the WorldFlags of the WorldFlags of the World is an Internet-based vexillological association and resource. Its principal project is the Internet's largest website devoted to vexillology, containing comprehensive information about all kinds of flags, and an associated mailing list...
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