{"id":12,"date":"2026-05-24T14:21:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T14:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flags.page\/?p=12"},"modified":"2026-05-27T10:41:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:41:41","slug":"eu27-national-flag-display-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/eu27-national-flag-display-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"How the 27 EU Member States Regulate the Display of Their National Flag"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n\/* Scoped styles for the EU27 flag-laws article *\/\n.eu27-table-scroll { overflow-x: auto; -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch; position: relative; background:\n  linear-gradient(to right, white 30%, rgba(255,255,255,0)),\n  linear-gradient(to right, rgba(255,255,255,0), white 70%) 100% 0,\n  radial-gradient(farthest-side at 0 50%, rgba(0,0,0,0.18), rgba(0,0,0,0)),\n  radial-gradient(farthest-side at 100% 50%, rgba(0,0,0,0.18), rgba(0,0,0,0)) 100% 0;\n  background-repeat: no-repeat;\n  background-size: 40px 100%, 40px 100%, 14px 100%, 14px 100%;\n  background-attachment: local, local, scroll, scroll; }\n.eu27-table-scroll table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; }\n.eu27-table-scroll table.is-style-stripes tbody tr:nth-child(odd) td,\n.wp-block-table.is-style-stripes tbody tr:nth-child(odd) td { background-color: #f4f4f4 !important; }\n.wp-block-table.is-style-stripes tbody tr:nth-child(even) td { background-color: #ffffff !important; }\n.wp-block-table.is-style-stripes td { padding: 0.5em 0.6em !important; font-size: 0.92em !important; line-height: 1.4 !important; vertical-align: top !important; }\n.wp-block-table.is-style-stripes th { background-color: #003399 !important; color: #ffffff !important; padding: 0.6em !important; font-size: 0.92em !important; text-align: left !important; }\n.eu27-table-caption { font-size: 0.85em; color: #666; display: block; margin-top: 6px; }\n.eu27-sources-list { padding-left: 1.4em; }\n.eu27-sources-list li { margin-bottom: 0.4em; line-height: 1.45; }\nbody.postid-12 .featured-image.page-header-image-single { display: none !important; }\n.eu27-hero figcaption,\n.eu27-spotlight figcaption { font-size: 0.85em; color: #555; line-height: 1.4; margin-top: 6px; }\n.eu27-spotlight img { max-height: 540px !important; max-width: 100% !important; width: auto !important; height: auto !important; margin: 0 auto !important; display: block !important; }\n.eu27-spotlight { text-align: center; margin: 1.6em 0 !important; }\n.eu27-hero img { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; }\n.eu27-hero { margin: 0 0 1.4em 0 !important; }\n @media (max-width: 768px) { .eu27-table-scroll { overflow-x: visible; } .eu27-table-scroll table, .eu27-table-scroll thead, .eu27-table-scroll tbody, .eu27-table-scroll tr, .eu27-table-scroll th, .eu27-table-scroll td { display: block; width: 100%; max-width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; } .eu27-table-scroll thead { display: none; } .eu27-table-scroll tr { border: 1px solid #d4d4d4 !important; border-radius: 4px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0.6em 0.8em; background: #ffffff !important; } .eu27-table-scroll tr:nth-child(odd) { background: #fafafa !important; } .eu27-table-scroll td { border: none !important; padding: 0.35em 0 !important; text-align: left !important; background: transparent !important; font-size: 0.95em !important; line-height: 1.45 !important; } .eu27-table-scroll td:before { content: attr(data-label) \": \"; font-weight: 700; color: #003399; display: block; font-size: 0.7em; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.04em; margin-bottom: 0.15em; } .eu27-table-scroll td:first-child:before { display: none; } .eu27-table-scroll td:first-child { font-size: 1.15em !important; font-weight: 700; color: #003399; margin-bottom: 0.35em; padding-bottom: 0.4em !important; border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0 !important; } }<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large eu27-hero\">\n<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-scaled.jpg\"\n     alt=\"A row of EU member-state national flags on tall flagpoles in front of the Paul-Henri Spaak building of the European Parliament in Brussels.\"\n     class=\"wp-image-66\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-flags-brussels-hero-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption>EU member-state flags outside the Paul-Henri Spaak building of the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo by Marek \u015alusarczyk (Tupungato), via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:14_EU_Member_Flags_in_front_of_European_Parliament_in_Brussels.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY 3.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Walk past a public building in Rome on a working Tuesday and the Italian Tricolour will be hanging beside the EU flag, both raised at the same height, both lowered before sunset, both subject to a dense body of rules whose breach can be prosecuted. Do the same in Berlin and you\u2019ll find the <em>Bundesflagge<\/em> flown only on a list of statutorily prescribed days, while the version bearing the federal eagle is reserved for ministries and forbidden on a private balcony. Cross into Paris and the Tricolore is everywhere on official buildings, yet no consolidated statute governs how it must look \u2014 the rules live in scattered decrees, ministerial circulars and a 2010 amendment to the Criminal Code. Three neighbouring republics, three almost incompatible legal philosophies for the same simple object: a coloured rectangle hoisted on a pole.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-this-matters\">Why this matters<\/h2>\n<p>If you live in the European Union, you encounter national flags constantly: on town halls, schools, embassies, balconies during football tournaments. If you fly one yourself, sell them, or organise events at which one will be raised, the rules around how it must be done are far from intuitive \u2014 and they change at every border. A flag hung upside down can be a fineable offence in one country and pure folklore in the next. A national flag displayed without the EU flag beside it can violate a regulation in Vilnius and be irrelevant in Stockholm. Sanctions range from a \u20ac12 administrative warning in Lithuania to up to three years\u2019 imprisonment in Germany. For flag professionals, event managers, diplomats and the merely curious, this article is a working reference: what the 27 EU member states actually require, where the regimes converge, and where they diverge sharply enough to matter.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"fp-flag-specs\">\n\n                    <div class=\"fp-flag-image\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/flag-archive\/MOD\/2-3\/ITA-2-3.svg\" alt=\"Flag of Italy\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"fp-flag-specs-title-country\">Italy Flag<\/h3>\n\n                    <div class=\"fp-identity\">\n                                    <div class=\"fp-name-official\"><em>Repubblica Italiana<\/em><\/div>\n                                                    <div class=\"fp-nicknames\">&ldquo;Tricolore&rdquo; &middot; &ldquo;Bandiera d&#039;Italia&rdquo;<\/div>\n                                                    <div class=\"fp-name-synonyms\"><span class=\"fp-aka-label\">Also known as<\/span> Italia &middot; Italie &middot; Italien<\/div>\n                                                    <div class=\"fp-iso-row\">ISO 3166: IT (380)<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            <hr class=\"fp-identity-divider\" \/>\n        \n        <dl class=\"fp-flag-specs-dl\">\n\n                            <dt>Adopted<\/dt>\n                <dd>1 January 1948<\/dd>\n            \n                            <dt>Proportions<\/dt>\n                <dd>2:3<\/dd>\n            \n                            <dt>FIAV usage<\/dt>\n                <dd><div class=\"fp-fiav-row\"><svg class=\"fp-fiav-chart\" viewbox=\"0 0 30 20\" aria-label=\"FIAV usage chart\" role=\"img\" focusable=\"false\"><rect x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" fill=\"#ffffff\"\/><line x1=\"10\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"10\" y2=\"20\" stroke=\"#555555\" stroke-width=\"1\" vector-effect=\"non-scaling-stroke\"\/><line x1=\"20\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"20\" y2=\"20\" stroke=\"#555555\" stroke-width=\"1\" vector-effect=\"non-scaling-stroke\"\/><line x1=\"0\"  y1=\"10\" x2=\"30\" y2=\"10\" stroke=\"#555555\" stroke-width=\"1\" vector-effect=\"non-scaling-stroke\"\/><rect x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"30\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#555555\" stroke-width=\"1\" vector-effect=\"non-scaling-stroke\"\/><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"5\" r=\"2.5\" fill=\"#003399\"\/><circle cx=\"15\" cy=\"5\" r=\"2.5\" fill=\"#003399\"\/><circle cx=\"25\" cy=\"5\" r=\"2.5\" fill=\"#003399\"\/><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"15\" r=\"2.5\" fill=\"#003399\"\/><circle cx=\"15\" cy=\"15\" r=\"2.5\" fill=\"#003399\"\/><circle cx=\"25\" cy=\"15\" r=\"2.5\" fill=\"#003399\"\/><rect x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" fill=\"transparent\" class=\"fp-fiav-cell-hit\"><title>Civil land: used<\/title><\/rect><rect x=\"10\" y=\"0\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" fill=\"transparent\" class=\"fp-fiav-cell-hit\"><title>State land: used<\/title><\/rect><rect x=\"20\" y=\"0\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" fill=\"transparent\" class=\"fp-fiav-cell-hit\"><title>War land: used<\/title><\/rect><rect x=\"0\" y=\"10\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" fill=\"transparent\" class=\"fp-fiav-cell-hit\"><title>Civil sea: used<\/title><\/rect><rect x=\"10\" y=\"10\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" fill=\"transparent\" class=\"fp-fiav-cell-hit\"><title>State sea: used<\/title><\/rect><rect x=\"20\" y=\"10\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" fill=\"transparent\" class=\"fp-fiav-cell-hit\"><title>War sea: used<\/title><\/rect><\/svg><div class=\"fp-fiav-plain\">Used as civil, state and military flag, on land and at sea.<\/div><\/div><\/dd>\n            \n                            <dt>Official status<\/dt>\n                <dd><span class=\"fp-fiav-pill\"><span class=\"fp-fiav-pill-symbol\">&#8853;<\/span><span class=\"fp-fiav-pill-text\">Officially adopted by national law<\/span><\/span><\/dd>\n            \n                            <dt>Colors<\/dt>\n                <dd><div class=\"fp-color-swatches\"><div class=\"fp-color-row\"><span class=\"fp-color-swatch\" style=\"background:#008C45;\"><\/span><code class=\"fp-color-hex\">#008C45<\/code><span class=\"fp-color-pantone\">Pantone 17-6153 TCX<\/span><\/div><div class=\"fp-color-row\"><span class=\"fp-color-swatch\" style=\"background:#F4F5F0;\"><\/span><code class=\"fp-color-hex\">#F4F5F0<\/code><span class=\"fp-color-pantone\">Pantone 11-0601 TCX<\/span><\/div><div class=\"fp-color-row\"><span class=\"fp-color-swatch\" style=\"background:#CD212A;\"><\/span><code class=\"fp-color-hex\">#CD212A<\/code><span class=\"fp-color-pantone\">Pantone 18-1662 TCX<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/dd>\n            \n                            <dt>Designer<\/dt>\n                <dd>\u2014<\/dd>\n            \n                            <dt>Predecessor<\/dt>\n                <dd>Cispadane Republic flag (1797)<\/dd>\n            \n            \n                            <dt>Regulatory document<\/dt>\n                <dd>\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/presidenza.governo.it\/ufficio_cerimoniale\/normativa\/dpr_20000407_121_bandiere.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DPR 121\/2000<\/a>\n                                    <\/dd>\n            \n                            <dt>Design family<\/dt>\n                <dd><a href=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/design-family\/horizontal-tricolour\/\">Horizontal tricolour<\/a><\/dd>\n            \n            \n            \n            \n            \n        <\/dl>\n\n                    <div class=\"fp-flag-specs-shop\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/italianabandiere.com\/italy-flag\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\ud83d\uded2 Get this flag &rarr;<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<h2 id=\"four-families-of-european-flag-law\">Four families of European flag law<\/h2>\n<p>Despite 27 separate legal traditions, the regimes cluster into four recognisable families.<\/p>\n<p>The first is the <strong>strict statutory<\/strong> family \u2014 countries that codify the flag in detailed legislation, attach criminal sanctions to its misuse and prescribe protocols down to the proportions and Pantone codes. Italy (DPR 121\/2000 and Law 22\/1998), Germany (Anordnung des Bundespr\u00e4sidenten 1996; \u00a7 90a StGB), Spain (Ley 39\/1981), Portugal (Decreto-Lei 150\/87) and Bulgaria (\u0417\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d \u0437\u0430 \u0434\u044a\u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0438\u044f \u043f\u0435\u0447\u0430\u0442 \u0438 \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043b\u043d\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0437\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0435, 1998) all sit here. The state owns the symbol, and citizens use it under conditions.<\/p>\n<p>The second is the <strong>post-1989 Central European<\/strong> family \u2014 a cluster of nations that rewrote their flag laws shortly after the fall of communism or after independence, often in the early- to mid-1990s. Poland (1980, heavily amended 2004), Czechia (Act 352\/2001), Slovakia (Act 63\/1993), Hungary (Act CCII of 2011, replacing 1995\u2019s Act LXXXIII), Slovenia (1994), Croatia (1990\u20131994), Romania (Law 75\/1994), Estonia (Eesti lipu seadus 2005), Latvia (2009) and Lithuania (1991, revised 2004) share a recognisable signature: long statutory texts; detailed lists of buildings on which display is mandatory; designated <em>Flag Days<\/em>; administrative fines for non-compliance; and frequently a second, \u201chistorical\u201d variant of the flag (Vytis in Lithuania, the arms-bearing state flag in Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary).<\/p>\n<p>The third is the <strong>constitutional minimalism<\/strong> family \u2014 states where the flag is defined at constitutional level but the protocol of display lives almost entirely in advisory documents. Ireland (no statutory code; only the Department of the Taoiseach\u2019s <em>National Flag<\/em> protocol), Cyprus (1960 Constitution Art. 4), Malta (1964 Constitution Art. 3 plus the Public Holidays Act) and France (Constitution Art. 2 plus scattered decrees) all rely on guidance more than statute, even though France attaches a criminal sanction to public outrage of the flag.<\/p>\n<p>The fourth is the <strong>Nordic-liberal<\/strong> family \u2014 countries where the flag is everyday, household property and the state legislates only the bare technicalities. Sweden (Lag 1982:269), Denmark (Lov om flagning 2024 and the 1854\/1939 royal resolutions), Finland (Laki Suomen lipusta 380\/1978) and the Netherlands (Vlaginstructie 2013, a non-statutory instruction) form this group. Private use is encouraged, often domestic and ritualised; statutory regulation is light; flag-desecration as a crime is largely absent.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"country-by-country-spotlights\">Country-by-country spotlights<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large eu27-spotlight\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-italy-palazzo-chigi.jpg\"\n     alt=\"Facade of Palazzo Chigi in Rome, with the Italian Tricolour and the EU flag flanking the entrance.\"\n     class=\"wp-image-67\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-italy-palazzo-chigi.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-italy-palazzo-chigi-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-italy-palazzo-chigi-1024x693.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-italy-palazzo-chigi-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-italy-palazzo-chigi-1536x1040.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-italy-palazzo-chigi-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption>Palazzo Chigi, seat of the Italian Government, with the Italian Tricolour and the EU flag at the entrance \u2014 the symmetric dual-flag pairing prescribed by DPR 121\/2000. Photo via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Palazzo_Chigi_-_esterno.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY 4.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Italy<\/strong> has the most disciplined dual-flag protocol in Europe. DPR 121\/2000 implements Law 22\/1998 and prescribes that the Italian flag and the EU flag be flown on every state administration building, every public school on lesson and exam days, and every prefecture. The two flags must be of equal size, on poles of the same height; the Tricolour takes the heraldic right (the viewer\u2019s left); odd-numbered arrangements place the national flag in the centre. Vilipendio della bandiera \u2014 defamation \u2014 is criminalised under Article 292-bis of the Criminal Code, punishable with fines from \u20ac1,000 to \u20ac5,000. If you sell or display <a href=\"https:\/\/italianabandiere.com\/italy-flag\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Italian flag<\/a> for official use, the proportions are 2:3 and the green band must be on the hoist side.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large eu27-spotlight\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1667\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-scaled.jpg\"\n     alt=\"The southwest tower of the Reichstag building in Berlin with the German federal flag (Bundesflagge) on a flagpole in the foreground.\"\n     class=\"wp-image-68\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-scaled.jpg 1667w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-667x1024.jpg 667w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-768x1179.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-1000x1536.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-1334x2048.jpg 1334w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-germany-reichstag-8x12.jpg 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1667px) 100vw, 1667px\" \/><figcaption>Reichstag, southwest tower, with the civil <em>Bundesflagge<\/em> on the flagpole \u2014 the freely flyable variant Germany distinguishes from the state-only <em>Bundesdienstflagge<\/em>. Photo via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Reichstag_S%C3%BCdwestturm_IMG_2900_edit.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Germany<\/strong> is the only EU state with two distinct official flags: the civil <em>Bundesflagge<\/em> (black-red-gold horizontal stripes, 3:5) that anyone may fly, and the <em>Bundesdienstflagge<\/em> bearing the federal eagle, reserved exclusively for federal authorities. Misuse of the latter is sanctionable. The 1996 Anordnung des Bundespr\u00e4sidenten and the 2005 Erlass \u00fcber die Beflaggung der Dienstgeb\u00e4ude des Bundes specify which dates federal buildings must hoist the flag; the L\u00e4nder regulate their own. Section 90a of the Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch) makes flag desecration a serious offence \u2014 up to three years\u2019 imprisonment, or five years if connected to anti-constitutional activity. The post-1949 legal scaffolding remains visibly shaped by the determination to prevent the resurgence of unauthorised national symbolism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>France<\/strong> has the most counter-intuitive regime among Europe\u2019s large states: there is no comprehensive statute on the display of the <em>drapeau tricolore<\/em>. The Constitution defines it; ministerial circulars and prefectural instructions tell town halls when to hoist it; and D\u00e9cret 2010-835 inserted Article R645-15 into the Criminal Code, making public outrage to the flag a fifth-class contravention with a fine up to \u20ac1,500. A 2019 law (loi pour une \u00e9cole de la confiance) requires every classroom to display the French and EU flags. France also institutionalised the EU flag\u2019s place on official buildings after 2008.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large eu27-spotlight\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1663\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-scaled.jpg\"\n     alt=\"A Dannebrog flag on a tall private flagpole on a Danish coastal lawn, with the Cliff of Stevns in the distance.\"\n     class=\"wp-image-69\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-scaled.jpg 1663w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-665x1024.jpg 665w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-768x1182.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-998x1536.jpg 998w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-1330x2048.jpg 1330w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-denmark-dannebrog-8x12.jpg 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1663px) 100vw, 1663px\" \/><figcaption>The Dannebrog on a private flagpole on the Danish coast \u2014 the vernacular daily-use tradition that Denmark\u2019s 2024 Lov om flagning codifies. Photo by Bob Collow\u00e2n, via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Dannebrog_ved_R%C3%B8dvig_Strand.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Denmark<\/strong> is the European outlier \u2014 the only country where private daily flag use is genuinely vernacular. The Dannebrog is hoisted by ordinary households on personal birthdays, weddings and national days; thirteen official flag days punctuate the calendar. The 1854 royal resolution legalised private rectangular use; the 1939 resolution fixed the geometry of the swallow-tailed <em>Splitflag<\/em>, which remains a state monopoly. In December 2024 a new flag act re-tightened the rules on foreign flag display after a 2023 Supreme Court ruling had briefly liberalised them \u2014 a reminder that Nordic permissiveness has limits.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large eu27-spotlight\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-estonia-pikk-hermann-scaled.jpg\"\n     alt=\"The Pikk Hermann (Tall Hermann) tower at Toompea Castle in Tallinn, with the Estonian flag flying from the top and the Riigikogu parliament building beside it.\"\n     class=\"wp-image-70\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-estonia-pikk-hermann-scaled.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-estonia-pikk-hermann-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-estonia-pikk-hermann-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-estonia-pikk-hermann-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-estonia-pikk-hermann-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flags.page\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eu27-estonia-pikk-hermann-9x12.jpg 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption>Pikk Hermann (&#8220;Tall Hermann&#8221;) at Toompea Castle in Tallinn \u2014 the Estonian flag is hoisted here at sunrise every day, the ceremonial display required by the Eesti lipu seadus. Photo by Ypsilon from Finland, via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Pikk_Hermann_and_Riigikogu.JPG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Estonia<\/strong> has the strictest school-flag regime in the EU. The Eesti lipu seadus (2005) mandates that every school hoist the blue-black-white tricolour every single school day. The flag is also required on more than sixteen statutory flag days, on Pikk Hermann tower in Tallinn permanently, and on courts, ministries and local-government buildings on prescribed dates. Failure by responsible officials is sanctioned as a misdemeanour under \u00a7 14 of the Act. The flag\u2019s 7:11 proportions are unusually elongated; raising occurs no earlier than 07:00 and lowering at sunset.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ireland<\/strong> is the most legally hands-off member state. There is no statute, no penal sanction, no enforcement apparatus \u2014 only the Department of the Taoiseach\u2019s protocol document, most recently updated in 2016. The tricolour must be flown with green at the hoist, must never be flown below another flag, and must never be dipped except in honour of the dead. Beyond that, display is encouraged by educational charities but never imposed by law. It is the cleanest example of the constitutional-minimalist family.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Spain<\/strong> built one of the most precedence-heavy regimes in Europe. Ley 39\/1981 requires the Spanish flag to be permanently flown on every public administration building \u2014 state, autonomous community and municipal \u2014 and prescribes that when displayed beside a regional flag the national flag must be larger or at least equal in size, and in the most honourable position. The Supreme Court has repeatedly intervened where municipalities have failed to comply. Article 543 of the Criminal Code penalises public outrages against Spain and its symbols with fines of seven to twelve months\u2019 worth of daily income.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Poland<\/strong> rewrote its 1980 statute in 2004 to legalise free private use of the flag \u2014 explicitly enabling the wave of patriotic display now visible on Dzie\u0144 Flagi (2 May), a date Parliament wedged between Labour Day and Constitution Day to encourage mass civic flag-flying. The state flag bearing the eagle remains restricted to diplomatic missions, ports, airports and ships. Article 137 \u00a71 of the Penal Code criminalises public insult of the flag with a fine, restriction of liberty or up to one year\u2019s imprisonment. The 2024 consolidated text reflects more than a decade of incremental amendment.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"common-ground-and-sharp-divergences\">Common ground and sharp divergences<\/h2>\n<p>Across all 27 member states three rules are universal. First, the flag must be treated with dignity \u2014 even Sweden, which has no desecration offence, expects the state flag not to be soiled or displayed in ways calculated to insult. Second, the flag is never flown below another flag on the same pole. Third, in joint display with the EU flag, the national flag retains the place of honour in its own territory.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond that consensus the regimes diverge sharply. Criminal sanctions exist in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia and Luxembourg; administrative-only sanctions in Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Austria and (now) Denmark; no sanctions at all in Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Mandatory school display is the norm in Estonia, Slovakia, France and Italy and absent in the Nordic states. Permanent illumination after sunset is required by statute in Italy and Portugal but only customary in the Netherlands. Lithuania mandates display on private residential buildings on the three statehood holidays \u2014 an obligation no Western European state imposes.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-eu-flag-dimension\">The EU flag dimension<\/h2>\n<p>Twenty-six of the twenty-seven member states have explicitly integrated the European flag into their national protocol. The dominant pattern is symmetric pairing: equal size, equal pole height, the national flag in the place of honour with the EU flag immediately beside it. Italy codified this symmetric pairing in DPR 121\/2000 in unusual detail \u2014 the EU flag is treated almost as a peer rather than a guest. France did the same through ministerial practice after 2008, when President Sarkozy formalised the EU flag\u2019s presence on official buildings, and the 2019 schools law made the pairing mandatory in classrooms. Romania, Lithuania and Estonia all list the EU flag explicitly in their statutes.<\/p>\n<p>The only member state without statutory accommodation of the EU flag is, in practice, Sweden \u2014 whose 1982 Act simply does not contemplate it, leaving the matter to convention. The Netherlands sits in a similar position by virtue of having no statute to amend. Denmark\u2019s 2024 act listed the EU flag among the foreign emblems whose display is by default permitted alongside the Dannebrog, which is itself a legislative innovation worth noting.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"practical-takeaways-for-flag-professionals-and-enthusiasts\">Practical takeaways for flag professionals and enthusiasts<\/h2>\n<p>A working checklist for anyone handling national flags across multiple EU jurisdictions: the proportions are 2:3 in most of the Union, with significant exceptions including Ireland (1:2), Hungary (1:2), Lithuania (3:5), Sweden (10:16), Denmark (28:37) and Estonia (7:11). Criminal liability for desecration applies in roughly two-thirds of the member states; assume risk unless you have confirmed otherwise. The EU flag should be treated as paired with the national flag on every official building in Italy, France, Romania, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia and most others. Sunrise-to-sunset display is the default rule everywhere; statutory illumination requirements apply in Italy and Portugal. Mandatory mourning configurations (half-mast and, in Latvia, the black ribbon) are codified in detail in Latvia, Italy, Slovenia and Hungary. When in doubt, default to the strictest reasonable interpretation: equal pole heights, place of honour to the national flag, sunrise-to-sunset, clean cloth, correct hoist side.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"country-by-country-quick-reference\">Country-by-country quick reference<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\">\n<div class=\"eu27-table-scroll\">\n<table class=\"is-style-stripes\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Country<\/th>\n<th>Primary law \/ regulation<\/th>\n<th>Sanctions<\/th>\n<th>Notable peculiarity (one line)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Austria<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Wappengesetz, BGBl. 159\/1984<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative, up to \u20ac3,600<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Liberal &#8220;private use&#8221; clause expressly allows everyday depictions of arms and flag.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Belgium<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Arr\u00eat\u00e9 royal du 5 juillet 1974 (amended 2013, 2015)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">No specific desecration penalty; only administrative non-compliance<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">No criminal offence for flag desecration; official &#8220;Meldpunt Bevlagging&#8221; reporting line exists.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Bulgaria<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">\u0417\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d \u0437\u0430 \u0434\u044a\u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0438\u044f \u043f\u0435\u0447\u0430\u0442 \u0438 \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043b\u043d\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0437\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0435<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative fines + Criminal Code Art. 108 (up to 2 yrs)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Statute specifies Pantone textile codes and exact whiteness percentage.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Croatia<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Zakon o grbu, zastavi i himni RH<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative + Criminal Code Art. 349 (up to 1 yr)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Coat of arms includes five regional sub-shields representing historical Croatian regions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Cyprus<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Constitution Art. 4 + Council of Ministers decision 24 April 2006<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Limited \u2014 general criminal-code provisions only<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Only sovereign flag depicting its own geographical map; constitution bans Greek\/Turkish colours.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Czechia<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Z\u00e1kon \u010d. 352\/2001 Sb.<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative, up to CZK 30,000<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Statute expressly allows anyone to fly the state flag &#8220;at any time&#8221; if done with dignity.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Denmark<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Lov om flagning 2024; royal resolutions 1854, 1939<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative (foreign-flag rules); Straffeloven \u00a7110e for foreign-state insults<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Daily private use is vernacular; swallow-tailed Splitflag is a state monopoly.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Estonia<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Eesti lipu seadus<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 misdemeanour sanctions under \u00a7 14<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Mandatory display on every school every school day; 7:11 elongated proportions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Finland<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Laki Suomen lipusta 380\/1978<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 fines under \u00a78 for unlawful state\/presidential flag use<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Midsummer&#8217;s Day flag remains hoisted overnight \u2014 a national exception to the sunrise-sunset rule.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">France<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Constitution Art. 2 + D\u00e9cret 2010-835 (Code p\u00e9nal R645-15)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 fifth-class contravention, up to \u20ac1,500 (\u20ac3,000 recidivist)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">No comprehensive flag-display statute; rules dispersed in decrees and circulars.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Germany<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Anordnung des Bundespr\u00e4sidenten 1996 + Erlass 2005<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 \u00a7 90a StGB, up to 3 yrs (5 yrs if anti-constitutional)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Two distinct official flags: civil <em>Bundesflagge<\/em> free, <em>Bundesdienstflagge<\/em> state-only.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Greece<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">\u039d\u03cc\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 851\/1978 (Government Gazette FEK A&#8217; 233\/1978)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 Penal Code Art. 181, up to 2 yrs<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">1978 law abolished the older land flag and made the striped maritime flag the sole national flag.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Hungary<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">2011. \u00e9vi CCII. t\u00f6rv\u00e9ny (replaced 1995 Act LXXXIII)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 Criminal Code \u00a7334 (up to 1 yr) + administrative fines<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Use of the coat of arms requires explicit authorisation from the Prime Minister&#8217;s Office.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Ireland<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\"><em>The National Flag<\/em> (Department of the Taoiseach protocol)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">None \u2014 protocol is advisory<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">No statutory code, no penalty; the most legally hands-off regime in the EU.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Italy<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Legge 22\/1998 + DPR 121\/2000 + Codice penale art. 292-bis<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 criminal fine \u20ac1,000\u2013\u20ac5,000<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Mandates symmetric pairing of Italian flag and EU flag at equal height on all state buildings.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Latvia<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Latvijas valsts karoga likums<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative under the Administrative Violations framework<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Codifies mandatory black mourning ribbon of precise width (1\/20 of flag width) on 5 designated days.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Lithuania<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Valstyb\u0117s v\u0117liavos ir kit\u0173 v\u0117liav\u0173 \u012fstatymas (1991, revised 2004)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative, \u20ac10\u2013\u20ac12 (Code of Administrative Offences Art. 519)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Mandatory private-building display on three statehood holidays; legalised second &#8220;historical&#8221; Vytis flag.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Luxembourg<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Loi du 23 juin 1972 sur les embl\u00e8mes nationaux<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 criminal penalties for unauthorised state-emblem use<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Legally recognises two parallel flags: red-white-blue tricolour and the &#8220;Roude L\u00e9iw&#8221; lion banner.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Malta<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Constitution of Malta Art. 3 + National Holidays Act (Chapter 252)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 Criminal Code Art. 73 (dignity of state)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Only national flag in the world incorporating a foreign military decoration (the George Cross).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Netherlands<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Vlaginstructie Rijksoverheid<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">None \u2014 guideline only, no statute<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">No statutory flag law; orange royal pennant (oranje wimpel) is a unique national feature.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Poland<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Ustawa o godle, barwach i hymnie RP<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 Penal Code Art. 137 \u00a71 (up to 1 yr)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">National Flag Day on 2 May, established 2004 between Labour Day and Constitution Day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Portugal<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Decreto-Lei n.\u00ba 150\/87<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 Criminal Code Art. 332, up to 2 yrs<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Prescribes exact 09:00 hoisting time and ritual incineration of unusable flags.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Romania<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Legea nr. 75\/1994<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative, 10,000\u201320,000 lei (~\u20ac2,000\u20134,000)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Exhaustive statutory list of institutions required to fly the flag; bans superimposed inscriptions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Slovakia<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Z\u00e1kon \u010d. 63\/1993 Z. z.<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative, up to ~\u20ac6,638<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Statutory requirement that the flag and emblem be displayed inside every school classroom.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Slovenia<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">ZGZH (Uradni list 67\/1994)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 administrative under Chapter V (some fine amounts unresolved tolar\/euro)<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Distinguishes a state flag (with arms) from a plain &#8220;Slovenian national flag&#8221; \u2014 dual-flag concept rare in the EU.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Spain<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Ley 39\/1981 + C\u00f3digo Penal art. 543<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">Yes \u2014 criminal fine of 7\u201312 months&#8217; daily income<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Heaviest precedence regime: national flag must always be larger or equal to regional\/municipal flags.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td data-label=\"Country\">Sweden<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Primary law \/ regulation\">Lag (1982:269) om Sveriges flagga + F\u00f6rordning 1983:826<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Sanctions\">None \u2014 Sweden has no flag-desecration offence<\/td>\n<td data-label=\"Notable peculiarity\">Burning the flag in protest is legally permitted; rectangular flag free for private use, swallow-tailed reserved.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"eu27-table-caption\"><em>Comparative summary of national flag display laws across the 27 EU member states. Source-confidence and corrections detailed below.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"sources-and-further-reading\">Sources and further reading<\/h2>\n<p>A full machine-readable comparison of the 27 statutes, with sanctions and peculiarities, is available in the <a href=\"#country-by-country-quick-reference\">quick-reference table above<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"eu27-sources-list\">\n<li><strong>Italy<\/strong> \u2014 DPR n. 121\/2000 <strong>(2000)<\/strong> \u00b7 Legge 22\/1998 <strong>(1998)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/presidenza.governo.it\/ufficio_cerimoniale\/normativa\/dpr_20000407_121_bandiere.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">presidenza.governo.it<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Germany<\/strong> \u2014 Anordnung des Bundespr\u00e4sidenten <strong>(1996)<\/strong> \u00b7 Erlass <strong>(2005)<\/strong> \u00b7 \u00a7 90a StGB \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.protokoll-inland.de\/Webs\/PI\/DE\/themen\/beflaggung\/allgemeines\/rechtsgrundlagen\/rechtsgrundlagen.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">protokoll-inland.de<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>France<\/strong> \u2014 D\u00e9cret 2010-835 <strong>(2010)<\/strong> \u00b7 Constitution Art. 2 \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000022510542\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legifrance.gouv.fr<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Spain<\/strong> \u2014 Ley 39\/1981 <strong>(1981)<\/strong> \u00b7 C\u00f3digo Penal art. 543 \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boe.es\/buscar\/act.php?id=BOE-A-1981-26082\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">boe.es<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Portugal<\/strong> \u2014 Decreto-Lei n.\u00ba 150\/87 <strong>(1987)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/diariodarepublica.pt\/dr\/detalhe\/decreto-lei\/150-1987-666521\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">diariodarepublica.pt<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Belgium<\/strong> \u2014 Arr\u00eat\u00e9 royal du 5 juillet 1974 <strong>(1974)<\/strong>, amended <strong>(2013)<\/strong> and <strong>(2015)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/etaamb.openjustice.be\/fr\/arrete-royal-du-03-decembre-2013_n2013000758.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">etaamb.openjustice.be<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Netherlands<\/strong> \u2014 Vlaginstructie Rijksoverheid <strong>(2013)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rijksoverheid.nl\/onderwerpen\/grondwet-en-statuut\/vraag-en-antwoord\/wanneer-kan-ik-de-vlag-uithangen-en-wat-is-de-vlaginstructie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rijksoverheid.nl<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Luxembourg<\/strong> \u2014 Loi du 23 juin 1972 <strong>(1972)<\/strong>, amended <strong>(1993)<\/strong> and <strong>(2007)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/legilux.public.lu\/eli\/etat\/leg\/loi\/1972\/06\/23\/n1\/jo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legilux.public.lu<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ireland<\/strong> \u2014 <em>The National Flag<\/em>, Department of the Taoiseach protocol <strong>(2016, latest revision)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ie\/en\/department-of-the-taoiseach\/publications\/the-national-flag\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gov.ie<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Sweden<\/strong> \u2014 Lag (1982:269) om Sveriges flagga <strong>(1982)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riksdagen.se\/sv\/dokument-och-lagar\/dokument\/svensk-forfattningssamling\/lag-1982269-om-sveriges-flagga_sfs-1982-269\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">riksdagen.se<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Denmark<\/strong> \u2014 Lov om flagning <strong>(2024)<\/strong> \u00b7 royal resolutions <strong>(1854)<\/strong> and <strong>(1939)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retsinformation.dk\/eli\/ft\/202412L00021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">retsinformation.dk<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Finland<\/strong> \u2014 Laki Suomen lipusta 380\/1978 <strong>(1978)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finlex.fi\/fi\/laki\/ajantasa\/1978\/19780380\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">finlex.fi<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Austria<\/strong> \u2014 Wappengesetz BGBl. 159\/1984 <strong>(1984)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ris.bka.gv.at\/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&amp;Gesetzesnummer=10000782\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ris.bka.gv.at<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Czechia<\/strong> \u2014 Z\u00e1kon \u010d. 352\/2001 Sb. <strong>(2001)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zakonyprolidi.cz\/cs\/2001-352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">zakonyprolidi.cz<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Poland<\/strong> \u2014 Ustawa o godle, barwach i hymnie RP <strong>(1980)<\/strong>, amended <strong>(2004)<\/strong>, consolidated <strong>(2024)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/isap.sejm.gov.pl\/isap.nsf\/DocDetails.xsp?id=wdu19800070018\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">isap.sejm.gov.pl<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Slovakia<\/strong> \u2014 Z\u00e1kon \u010d. 63\/1993 Z. z. <strong>(1993)<\/strong>, amended <strong>(post-2018)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slov-lex.sk\/pravne-predpisy\/SK\/ZZ\/1993\/63\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">slov-lex.sk<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Hungary<\/strong> \u2014 2011. \u00e9vi CCII. t\u00f6rv\u00e9ny <strong>(2011)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/net.jogtar.hu\/jogszabaly?docid=a1100202.tv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">net.jogtar.hu<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Slovenia<\/strong> \u2014 ZGZH, Uradni list 67\/1994 <strong>(1994)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pisrs.si\/Pis.web\/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO316\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pisrs.si<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Croatia<\/strong> \u2014 Zakon o grbu, zastavi i himni RH <strong>(1990)<\/strong>, amended <strong>(1993)<\/strong> and <strong>(1994)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/narodne-novine.nn.hr\/clanci\/sluzbeni\/1990_12_55_1067.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">narodne-novine.nn.hr<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Romania<\/strong> \u2014 Legea nr. 75\/1994 <strong>(1994)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/legislatie.just.ro\/public\/DetaliiDocument\/4303\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legislatie.just.ro<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Bulgaria<\/strong> \u2014 \u0417\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d \u0437\u0430 \u0434\u044a\u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0438\u044f \u043f\u0435\u0447\u0430\u0442 \u0438 \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043b\u043d\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0437\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0435 <strong>(1998)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/lex.bg\/laws\/ldoc\/2134401024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lex.bg<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Estonia<\/strong> \u2014 Eesti lipu seadus <strong>(2005)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/en\/eli\/505062014001\/consolide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">riigiteataja.ee<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Latvia<\/strong> \u2014 Latvijas valsts karoga likums <strong>(2009)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/likumi.lv\/ta\/en\/en\/id\/200642-law-on-the-national-flag-of-latvia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">likumi.lv<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Lithuania<\/strong> \u2014 Lietuvos Respublikos valstyb\u0117s v\u0117liavos \u012fstatymas <strong>(1991)<\/strong>, revised <strong>(2004)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/e-seimas.lrs.lt\/portal\/legalAct\/lt\/TAD\/TAIS.240329\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">e-seimas.lrs.lt<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Greece<\/strong> \u2014 \u039d\u03cc\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 851\/1978 <strong>(1978)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crwflags.com\/fotw\/flags\/gr_law.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crwflags.com \u2014 FOTW translation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Cyprus<\/strong> \u2014 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, Art. 4 <strong>(1960, revised 2006)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constituteproject.org\/constitution\/Cyprus_2013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">constituteproject.org<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Malta<\/strong> \u2014 Constitution of Malta, Art. 3 <strong>(1964)<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/legislation.mt\/eli\/const\/eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legislation.mt<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Note on sources: this comparative draws on primary legal texts and official government materials for 24 of the 27 member states. For Greece, Cyprus and Malta, where the original statutory text was not accessible during research, the analysis relies on secondary references (Flags of the World, academic vexillology sources). Readers with access to primary sources for these three jurisdictions are warmly invited to write in with corrections.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A country-by-country comparison of the laws governing how the national flag is displayed across all 27 EU member states \u2014 sanctions, protocols and peculiarities.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":66,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"country":[37,16,33,31,35,27,20,23,22,13,12,34,29,19,11,24,25,18,36,17,26,15,32,28,30,14,21],"region":[49,50],"flag_type":[59],"design_family":[],"color_family":[],"class_list":["post-12","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-protocol-etiquette","country-austria","country-belgium","country-bulgaria","country-croatia","country-cyprus","country-czechia","country-denmark","country-estonia","country-finland","country-france","country-germany","country-greece","country-hungary","country-ireland","country-italy","country-latvia","country-lithuania","country-luxembourg","country-malta","country-netherlands","country-poland","country-portugal","country-romania","country-slovakia","country-slovenia","country-spain","country-sweden","region-europe","region-european-union","flag_type-national-flag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions\/93"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"flag_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/flag_type?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"design_family","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/design_family?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"color_family","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flags.page\/sl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/color_family?post=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}