) ▁military ▁activities . ▁It ▁was ▁once ▁flow n ▁on ▁board ▁an ▁oper ational ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁war ship , ▁, ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁flags hip ▁of ▁an ▁Italian ▁general ▁( with ▁a ▁W E U ▁crew ) ▁command ing ▁W E U ▁relief ▁operations ▁in ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina . ▁There ▁are ▁variants ▁for ▁its ▁bodies , ▁such ▁as ▁its ▁assembly , ▁used ▁on ▁formal ▁occasions . ▁The ▁W E U ▁treat y ▁is ▁now ▁terminated , ▁with ▁W E U ▁activities ▁w ound ▁up ▁by ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁so ▁no ▁further ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁flag ▁is ▁for ese e able . ▁ ▁Pre vious ▁design ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁flag ▁was ▁in ▁use ▁only ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁Prior ▁to ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁similar ▁design ▁but ▁with ▁only ▁nine ▁stars ▁( before ▁Greece ▁became ▁a ▁member ) ▁and ▁the ▁stars ▁towards ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁flag ▁were ▁progress ively ▁larger ▁than ▁those ▁at ▁the ▁fr inge . ▁This ▁design ▁replaced ▁the ▁flag ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Union , ▁the ▁organisation ▁that ▁was ▁transformed ▁into ▁the ▁W E U ▁upon ▁the ▁entry ▁into ▁force ▁of ▁the ▁Mod ified ▁Br uss els ▁Tre aty . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Flag ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Union ▁ ▁Flag ▁of ▁Europe ▁ ▁Flag ▁of ▁NAT O ▁ ▁Flag ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Co al ▁and ▁Ste el ▁Community ▁ ▁Federal ist ▁flag ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁Flag ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁European ▁Union , ▁Fl