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CM(54)48 - Nineteenth meeting of the Ministers' Deputies - Memorandum by the Secretariat General on the choice of an emblem for the Council of Europe

The Deputies adopt the proposal in CM(54)99 to refer the question to the Joint Committee, and they ask the Assembly to suspend use of the 15-star flag

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Memorandum from Paul Levy about the first results of the Assembly's referendum. Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi's proposal receives the most votes but there are British and Turkish objections to a cross.

Paul Levy mentions in a letter that, because of Turkish opposition to a cross, he is making a new proposal to the Committee on Rules of  Procedure and Privileges

Design by Arsène Heitz - blue flag with the Italian flag in the top left-hand corner and stars surrounded by a laurel wreath in the middle

Count Coudenhove-Kalergi (European Parliamentary Union) submits a memorandum stating why he considers that the red cross should be included in the design of the European flag

Secretariat Memorandum on the choice of an emblem for the Council of Europe. Makes the distinction between a flag and an emblem.

On January 1, 1956, the Egyptian and British flags were lowered, and the new national flag of The Sudan was hoisted in their place. It had equal horizontal stripes of blue (for the Nile River), yellow (for the desert), and green (for agriculture). In 1969 an Arab nationalist regime was proclaimed, and a new flag for the country was first officially hoisted on May 20, 1970. It combines the four pan-Arab colours found in the Arab Revolt Flag and the Arab Liberation Flag, but in The Sudan there are other explanations of the symbolism. Black is associated with al-Mahdī and with the name of the country itself (sudan in Arabic means “black”). White refers to the revolutionary flag of 1924 and suggests peace and optimism. Red recalls the martyrs in the independence struggle as well as socialism and progress. Green is a symbol of prosperity as well as of the Islamic religion, to which a majority of the inhabitants adhere. The flag was designed by Abd al-Raḥman Aḥmad al-Jali.

Letter from Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi to Paul Levy with a copy of a memorandum to Mr Cauwelaert (Chair of the Assembly Committee) concerning his proposal for a crescent shape to be added

Draft report by Robert Bichet. He argues for a white flag with 15 green stars.  The Committee decides against this and opts for gold stars on a blue (azure) background

The Consultative Assembly drafts a memorandum summarising 12 shortlisted proposals (a) to (l), which indicates their origin

Design by Arsène Heitz - blue flag with the British flag on the top left, and 15 stars laid out in two concentric circles in the middle

Letter from Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi to Jacques-Camille Paris (Secretary General) about using the red cross of the united states of Europe

Letter from Arsène Heitz to F. Caracciolo (Clerk of the Assembly). He proposes a red cross on a green background, inspired by Charlemagne’s standard

Document AS/RPP II (3) 2 - Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges - Sub-Committee on Immunities - Memorandum of the Secretariat General on the European Flag

New proposal from Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi in a letter to Stéphanos Stephanopoulos, Chair of the Committee of Ministers

Letter from Paul Levy to Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi. He suggests how to proceed as regards his proposal for a crescent shape to be added

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Letter from Walter Hallstein (Secretary of State, German Foreign Office) to the Secretary General, pointing out that the Committee of Ministers is the only body empowered to adopt a Council of Europe emblem.

Letter from Walter Hallstein (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Germany) to the Secretary General, pointing out that only the Committee of Ministers has the power to adopt a Council of Europe emblem

The Deputies decide to forward both designs to the Joint Committee and to indicate their preference at their next meeting

The Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges decides to seek the opinion of the Representatives of the Assembly before proceeding further

The Deputies decide to form an ad-hoc committee which will report to them, comprising 3 members of the Assembly (Robert Bichet, Erler and Karl Wistrand) and 3 heraldic experts nominated by Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands

After a presentation by Paul Levy, the Committee provisionally approves a design of gold stars on a blue (azure) background and appoints Robert Bichet as Rapporteur

The Assembly adopts a 15-point star as its own emblem and recommends that the Committee of Ministers adopt the same emblem for the Council of Europe as a whole. The German Representative raises the issue of the status of the Sarre region.  At the request of Mr Kiesinger, the word "nations" is replaced by "members" in the description of the emblem

Secretariat memorandum summarising the history of the flag question. The memorandum mentions Turkish opposition to the cross and the new proposal from Salvador de Madariaga for gold stars on a blue background

Letter from the German government to the Secretary General, proposing the creation of a committee of  3 Assembly members and 3 heraldic experts

Design by Arsène Heitz - blue flag with the French flag on the top left, and 15 stars laid out in two concentric circles in the middle

The Committee examines the proposals in document AS/RPP II (3) 2; listens to a presentation by Paul Levy; and asks the Secretariat to prepare an additional memorandum summarising the proposals

The Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges requests the Secretariat General to submit a further report. Because of other obligations, the Committee is unable to examine the report until May 1953.

Memorandum presented to the Council of Europe by Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi about using the red cross of the United States of Europe

Letter from the Clerk of the Assembly to the Assembly Representatives, giving the results of the referendum and mentioning British and Turkish opposition to a cross.

Anonymous drawing - 4 sketches of flags with the same design (blue flag, with the flag of the confederate state and a diamond made up of 15 white stars on the top left)

The Committee on General Affairs asks the Secretary General for a report suggesting measures to make the public aware of the reality of European Union

The Secretary General asks the Bureau of the Assembly to examine the question of the European flag. The Bureau decides that it does not have the authority to adopt the flag

In the late 19th century the religious leader al-Mahdī (Muḥammad Aḥmad) expelled the Egyptians and British from the Sudan and established a theocratic regime. His military flags were black, red, and green. After Mahdist rule was overthrown, Britain and Egypt established a condominium over the Sudan in 1899 under the terms of which the British and Egyptian flags were to be flown equally. Many Sudanese struggled against this condominium, however; for example, in 1924 the White Flag League raised its banner in revolt.