Common stamp to mark EU enlargement

Postal administrators have agreed on a common stamp as part of a joint stamp issue to mark the accession of the 10 new EU member countries on May 1.

Agreement was reached during a PostEurop sub-committee meeting held in Malta. Maltapost had started the ball rolling by submitting a proposal earlier this year, for PostEurop to consider a joint issue in May 2004 by all the 10 new member countries.

Maltapost had proposed that one of the stamps would feature a common design, with each new member country adding on the country's name and stamp denomination.

Another proposal by Maltapost had been for a second stamp, where applicable, to feature the respective countries' signatories at the Athens summit.

Maltapost was instrumental in facilitating the compromise solution eventually accepted by the representatives of the new member countries.

The common stamp design includes the flags of the 10 new EU member countries, with an outline map of Europe in the background, and with each postal administration highlighting its own country.

Some of the postal administrations will be issuing just the common stamp, while others like Maltapost are opting for a two-stamp set.

The design of the second stamp, where applicable, will be left to the respective postal administration.

The formal announcement about the choice of the design was made by Maltapost's CEO Robert Lake at the end of the PostEurop sub-committee meeting.

The designs submitted by Maltapost are the work of JP Advertising's graphic designer Jean Pierre Mizzi.