Brussels, 03/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has authorized the Swedish government to make a yearly EUR 44 million payment to Posten AB (Sweden's universal postal operator). The payment is compensation for the net additional costs incurred by Posten AB through delivering over the counter or face-to-face cash services (bill payments and bank account deposits and withdrawals) in order to fulfil its universal service obligation. Posten AB lost its postal monopoly in January 1993 and now offers the above mentioned cash services. The additional costs are projected to be in the order of 400 million Swedish crowns or EUR 44 million a year.