70 years of PostEurope with a common UNITED logo

Finnish graphic designer Klaus Welp has won the prize for a stamp featuring a shared image in the 2026 PostEurope design competition. Sandra Smulders is responsible for the Dutch adaptation. The square design commemorates the 70th anniversary of the EUROPA stamp.

Issue details: graphic designer is Klaus Welp (Finland), Sandra Smulders handles the Dutch stamp design, print run 75.000 sheets, first day of issue Friday, May 8, 2026, printer Joh. Enschedé BV in Haarlem.
The first Europa stamps of 1956 from Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, West Germany, and Italy.

70 years of PostEuropa symbolizes unification

The abstract image shows seven white dots (perforation dots) in a diagonal line, depicting the unified work of European state-owned enterprises through the 'United in Diversity & Uniqueness' logo.
The colorful, coherent, vibrant dot pattern in the background refers to the colors of the flags of the affiliated PostEuropa member states, but also to the philatelic approach with the reference to the perforation of postage stamps.
The dot pattern also features colorful diagonal stripes that cross each other at right angles. This symbolically depicts international postal traffic.

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Graphic designer Sandra Smulders provides a festive update

In the center of the stamp sheet, two stamps adjoin each other. By connecting two stamps, it is possible to symbolically represent the theme UNITED.
The number 70 with a halved and descending digit 0 appears on the left stamp. Together with the right stamp, both stamps form the whole number 0.
This 0 also forms the source of the festive anniversary fireworks. The number 70 with the fireworks is executed in a special PMS 877 silver color (metallic reflective silver) with a color gradient.
An identical composition of the number 70 has been applied in a larger version to both edges of the stamp sheet. Furthermore, this color gradient has also been applied in silver at the top and bottom of the sheet.
A 70th anniversary is known as a platinum anniversary. The silver that approximates the color of platinum is the closest approximation, PMS 877 UNITED image on vertical, square & horizontal stamps
Here are 18 stamp images featuring the square logo of the 53 member European countries, which can currently be found on Google at the time of compiling this article. The vertical version of the stamp (corresponding to that of our country) has also been designed in a square stamp format up to the perforation, except for those of France and Moldova in this overview.
* PostEuropa stamps shown: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina [Serbia], Bosnia and Herzegovina [Croatian], Latvia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Azerbaijan, Landname *), Armenia, Austria, Gibraltar, France, Moldova, Bulgaria, San Marino, Switzerland, Hungary and Finland.

*) Finnish sample stamp provides information on where the country name may appear.