To mark the seven-decade anniversary of the “Europa” stamps releasing, Romfilatelia and the Romanian Post will introduce into circulation on Thursday, April 9, the “Europe, 70 Years” postage stamp issue.
The issue consists of two postage stamps with the face values of lei 9 and lei 16, as well as a First Day Cover.
First issued in 1956 by six countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands – the stamps symbolized peace, unity, and cooperation in Europe. Today, the EUROPA stamp family has grown to 53 postal organizations across the continent.
Over the decades, the EUROPA stamp project has united postal administrations, particularly through collaborative designs for milestone occasions, such as anniversaries or acts of solidarity. The initiative has inspired postal operators to celebrate Europe’s rich cultural heritage, creating timeless symbols of shared values and
aspirations that continue to captivate new generations of collectors.
Last year, the PostEurop Stamps and Philately Working Group organized an internal competition to select a common design motif for the theme “70th Anniversary of the EUROPA Stamp: United in…”. Guided by shared values such as communication, innovation, cooperation, and common roots, members submitted 15 creative proposals, each presenting a unique vision. Postal operators were invited to vote on their favourite designs.
With votes from 50 postal organizations, the winner of the 2026 EUROPA stamp competition was Posti Ltd, Finland and the winning stamp design was created by Mr. Klaus Welp, who shared the inspiration behind his work: “In today’s turbulent world, there is an increasing need for peace, unity, and a strong community spirit, as well as reliable communication systems. A well-functioning national postal service is a fundamental pillar for democracies, providing security and connectivity for citizens. It was an honour to participate in this design competition and celebrate the 70th anniversary of PostEurop with this small piece of graphic art. As a designer, it is immensely gratifying to know that this stamp will be printed and published in so many European countries and shared across the globe.
The winning design of the 2026 EUROPA stamp (with the face value of Lei 16) combines abstract and symbolic elements. The diagonally ascending dotted line represents both the perforation of a stamp and the progressive work of the PostEurop. The seven dots, connected by a straight line, symbolize seventy years of unified effort by postal operators across the continent. The blending gradients and dotted patterns in the background form a cohesive and vibrant surface, reflecting the joyful mix of colours from the European flag and symbolizing the unity of all member nations.”
Klaus Welp is a visual artist with Finnish and German nationalities. He has studied different fields of visual communication at the Aalto University Helsinki, the University of Plastic Arts Xalapa Mexico and at the Berlin University of the Arts.
The concept of the philatelic issue represents peace as a common value shared between countries. The Romanian stamp (with the face value of lei 9) illustrates the connection between Romania and Europe, thus reflecting the unity, peace and cooperation between the member countries.
To maintain stylistic unity, the Romanian stamp is designed in the same graphic manner similar to the design of the winning stamp, thus symbolizing twinning, integration and friendship between countries.
