Brussels, 03/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has to decided to approve an agreement between the Swedish satellite operator Nordic Satellite AB (NSAB) and the Modern Times Group AB (MTG), a Swedish company also active in the broadcasting, written press and electronic business, aimed at replacing MTG's current analogue broadcasting by digital broadcasting. Up to now, Canal Satellite, created by the largest European providers of pay television services (Canal+ and Telenor) and currently held solely by a Norwegian provider, was the only provider of direct reception digital television services in Scandinavia, until MTG's arrival on the market, at the beginning of the year. The Commission thus considered that the agreement would have a beneficial effect on competition as, on the one hand Scandinavian consumers will benefit from the replacement of analogue broadcasting by digital broadcasting, which offers better quality sound and pictures, and, on the other, they will benefit from a greater choice of television stations at competitive prices.