Editing Council of Europe (section)

== Characteristics ==

=== Privileges and immunities ===
The General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe grants the organisation certain privileges and immunities.<ref name="priv-immu-EC">[http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/002.htm General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe], Council of Europe</ref>

The working conditions of staff are governed by the council's staff regulations, which are public.<ref>[http://www.coe.int/t/administrativetribunal/WCD/staff_en.asp Resolutions on the Council of Europe Staff Regulations], Council of Europe</ref> Salaries and emoluments paid by the Council of Europe to its officials are tax-exempt on the basis of Article&nbsp;18 of the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe.<ref name="priv-immu-EC"/>

=== Symbol and anthem ===

{{Main|Symbols of Europe|Flag of Europe}}

The Council of Europe created, and has since 1955 used as its official symbol, the [[Flag of Europe|European Flag]] with 12 golden stars arranged in a circle on a blue background.

Its musical anthem since 1972, the "[[Anthem of Europe|European anthem]]", is based on the "[[Ode to Joy]]" theme from [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|ninth symphony]].

On 5 May 1964, the 15th anniversary of its founding, the Council of Europe established 5 May as [[Europe Day]].<ref name="symbols">{{cite web|title=Flag, anthem and logo: the Council of Europe's symbols |publisher=Council of Europe |url=http://www.coe.int/T/E/Com/About_Coe/emblems/emblemes.asp |access-date=5 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731041722/http://www.coe.int/T/E/Com/About_Coe/emblems/emblemes.asp |archive-date=31 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The wide private and public use of the European Flag is encouraged to symbolise a European dimension. To avoid confusion with the [[European Union]] which subsequently adopted the same flag in the 1980s, as well as other European institutions, the Council of Europe often uses a modified version with a lower-case "e" surrounding the stars which are referred to as the "Council of Europe Logo".<ref name="symbols"/><ref>{{cite web| title =Logo of the Council of Europe| publisher=Council of Europe| url=http://www.coe.int/02/Logo/Pictures/LogoCoE/LogoCoe.jpg| access-date = 5 August 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110102024938/http://www.coe.int/02/Logo/Pictures/LogoCoE/LogoCoe.jpg| archive-date=2 January 2011}}</ref>