Coin set proof

The flag used by the European Union today did not originally emerge within the European Communities, but rather in the Council of Europe. This international organisation, founded in 1949, is institutionally separate from the EU. Its Committee of Ministers adopted the emblem with twelve golden stars on a blue background on 8 December 1955. The Council of Europe later allowed the institutions of the European Communities to use the same symbol.

The European Parliament expressed its support for adopting the emblem in 1983. In June 1985, the heads of state or government of the European Communities at the time approved this step. The anniversary year of the coin refers to this political agreement. The term “EU flag” is used retrospectively here: the European Union under this name was only established in 1993 with the entry into force of the Treaty of Maastricht.

The number of stars does not correspond to the number of Member States. It therefore remained unchanged during the various enlargements. The closed circle represents unity, while twelve has traditionally been associated with completeness and unity. The flag is used by the EU institutions, but it is not expressly established as an official symbol in all European treaties. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, signed in 2004, would have named the flag as a symbol of the Union, but it did not enter into force. The later Treaty of Lisbon omitted a corresponding provision; its practical use nevertheless continued.

The occasion was suitable for a joint commemorative issue because the flag does not refer to the history of a single state, but is a symbol known throughout the euro area. Joint 2-euro issues enable the participating countries to use the same theme and basic design, while details such as the country name and mint mark are adapted nationally. For Finland, the issue also coincided with the year of the twentieth anniversary of its accession to the EU; the country has been a member of the Union since 1995.