European Union: Changing the flag?

Last modified: 2005-07-23 by ivan sache
Keywords: european union | proposal | koolhaas (rem) | gai ata (nuno) |
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• The European Union flag shall not change
• Rem Koolhaas' proposal for a new European Union flag
• Nuno António Gai Ata's proposal for a new European Union flag

See also:

• European Union
• Myths on the European Union flag

The European Union flag shall not change

Contrary to media reports, there is no intention to change the European Union flag. The design printed in The Independent and other newspapers is an initiative by Dutch architect and designer Rem Koolhaas for a project on Brussels - Capital of Europe. It has no official status.

Joe Hennon, DG Press - European Commission, 27 May 2002, communication to Marcus Schmöger

An official note by the European Union confirms that the European Union flag shall not be changed.

Pascal Vagnat, 6 July 2003

Rem Koolhaas' proposal for a new European Union flag

by António Martins

The flag designed by Rem Koolhaas is made of 45 vertical lines, standing for (approximate proportions):

• Ireland: green - white - orange (1:1:1) / 3
• United Kingdom: dark blue - white - red - white - dark blue (3:1:2:1:3) / 10
• Portugal: red - green (2:3) / 5
• Spain: red - yellow - red (1:1:1) / 3
• France: dark blue - white - red (1:1:1) / 3
• Belgium: black - yellow - red (1:1:1) / 3
• Luxembourg: red - white - light blue (1:1:1) / 3
• Netherlands, red - white - light blue (1+1+1) / 3
• Germany: black - red - yellow (1:1:1) / 3
• Italy: green - white - red (1:1:1) / 3
• Denmark: red - white - red (2:1:2) / 5
• Austria: red - white - red (1:1:1) / 3
• Sweden: light blue - yellow - light blue (2:1:2) / 5
• Finland: white - dark blue - white (2:1:2) / 5
• Greece: white - light blue - white - light blue - white (1:1:1:1:1) / 5

António Martins, 16 May 2002

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas' new flag uses 45 vertical stripes, taking colours from every existing member's national flag. The logo - designed in response to a request by European Commission president Romano Prodi to find ways of rebranding the European Union - represents Europe's "diversity and unity",according to Mr Koolhaas. [..] The compromise design was - like the European Union stripes - intended to reflect both diversity and unity, but was also supposed to be simple enough "that a child could draw it recognisably". That many children already have difficulty remembering the order of the colours of the rainbow, raises the worry that the complex Koolhaas design may prove a little too taxing for young artists.

Source: BBC News, forwarded by Jan Oskar Engene, 8 May 2002

Nuno António Gai Ata's proposal for a new European Union flag

by Ivan Sache

Courrier International (#623, 10 October 2002) reports a new proposal initially published by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The proposal is a 1:2 flag, horizontally divided red / orange / pale green / dark green / purple / pink. It was proposed as an 'happy' flag by Nuno António Gai Ata. Expresso mentions that Nuno's flag might easily be confused with the Rainbow flag.

Ivan Sache, 13 October 2002