Synchronized Armed Forces Europe SAFE (Synchronised Armed Forces Europe) refers to a concept for the ever closer synchronisation of European armed forces in the context of the European Security and Defence Policy. The concept was presented by Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament on 10 November 2008 at the Seventh Congress on European Security and Defence held in Berlin. On 21 January 2009 the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs endorsed the concept by a wide majority and incorporated it into the European Parliament’s annual report on the European Security and Defence Policy. Discussions concerning the implementation of the concept are currently taking place in the Council of the European Union. The European Security Foundation supports this concept and is cuurently elaborating proposals for its implementation. SAFE is based on voluntary participation (opt-in model) and is intended to lead to the synchronisation of European armed forces. This procedure, which has already been used in connection with the euro and Schengen, offers both the neutral EU Member States and the MemberStates which belong to military alliances sufficient room for manoeuvre. This process, and the armed forces deployed under ESVP mandates, are to be given the name SAFE "Synchronised Armed Forces Europe". SAFE stands for the dynamic further development of the current arrangements, which amount to little more than close cooperation between national armed forces, towards ever closer synchronisation. SAFE stands for the principle of Europe-wide burden-sharing in the area of military capabilities. This can already be seen in the composition of the battle groups or in the Eurocorps. Over and above this, SAFE is proposing that military careers in national armed forces should be opened up to Europeans from all the Member States. This is already standard practice in the Belgian armed forces and is being introduced as part of the joint organisational arrangements for German and Netherlands reservists. In the context of SAFE, a European soldiers' statute is to be drawn up governing training standards, rules of engagement and degrees of operational freedom, duties and rights, quality of equipment and medical care and social security arrangements in the event of death, injury or incapacity. SAFE is intended to contribute to the further development of integrated European security structures. The idea is that these would combine civilian and military capabilities and secure a broad degree of social acceptance in the Member States.