Brussels, 02/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The senior officials of the 27 countries of the Barcelona Process met on Thursday in Brussels to continue their discussions on the draft Charter on Security and Stability in the Mediterranean, according to the working methods approved during the ad hoc meeting last December in Helsinki. These discussions took place in parallel to formal work, as decided by the ministerial meeting in Stuttgart. The senior officials are currently debating on concepts before giving content to the draft Charter which will be presented to the so-called "Palermo II" ministerial meeting on 25-26 May in Lisbon. The final decision is scheduled for mid-November in Marseilles on the occasion of the Barcelona 4 conference (when there could also be a summit of heads of state of the EU and third Mediterranean countries, according to an announcement made by French President Jacques Chirac who will then be President of the European Council).