The European Communities adopted the Flag of Europe in 1985.
The decision was made by the European Council at its Milan meeting on 28–29 June 1985. At that time, the European Communities were the predecessors of today’s European Union. The design was the blue field with a circle of twelve gold five-pointed stars that the Council of Europe had already adopted in 1955.
The European Parliament had recommended the design in 1983, helping build momentum for a common European emblem. In 1985, the European Council adopted it for the Communities with the official status of a logo, partly because some governments were cautious about treating it as a national-style flag. The institutions began using it in practice in 1986, and it was first raised outside the European Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters on 29 May that year.
The twelve stars do not represent the number of member countries. Their fixed number symbolizes unity, perfection and completeness. Another common mix-up is to answer 1955, which is correct for the Council of Europe’s original adoption, but not for the European Communities’ later adoption.