10/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - At a meeting on 27 February 2008, representatives of 35 EU rail freight companies, the Slovenian Presidency of the EU and representatives of the European Commission and European Parliament agreed to hold a series of meetings at ministerial level to speed up the introduction of trans-European rail freight networks. The first working meeting will be held in Ljubljana on 4 May 2008, ahead of a meeting of EU transport ministers (5-6 May). The talks will focus on the six primary corridors in the rail network promoted by the European Rail and Infrastructure Company Community (CEF), namely Rotterdam - Genoa; Naples - Stockholm; Antwerp - Basel/Lyons; Valencia - Ljubljana; Dresden - Prague - Budapest; and Duisburg - Berlin - Warsaw. The CER, backed by the Slovenian and Austrian Presidencies, says it would be a good idea for the working groups to also look at rail links in South-East and Eastern Europe like the 'X corridor' between Austria and Greece via some Western Balkans states. In parallel, the European Commission is continuing its work on how to actually implement the ideas set out in its report on the rail freight network in Europe (see EUROPE 9525), which notes that the first proposals could be unveiled at the end of this year. (A.By.)