Most European TV channels dished up a majority of programmes produced on the continent in 2008, in line with a rule of 50 percent EU content, the European Commission said Thursday.

Not up to European Union standards were Sweden, with only 45.5 percent EU productions. Denmark was highest achiever, with its networks offering 84.8 percent of shows made across the 27-nation bloc.

However, Malte Andersson, head of planning and development at Swedish television network TV4 said the figures were misleading.

Sweden is one of the countries where the digitization of the television network has expanded the fastest, which has created a boom of new niches channels, he explains. These new channels usually are filled with low-priced US programs and shows.

At the same time the five major TV channels – SVT1, SVT2, TV3, TV4 and Kanal5 – all air more and more locally produced material.

“The number of broadcast hours of American material has increased, sure. But we don’t show less Swedish programs. On the contrary, we air more local programs”, Malte Andersson told The Swedish Wire.

All EU member nations were up to scratch regarding a separate EU regulation calling on networks to offer 10 percent of time or of their programme budgets to independent productions -- they accounted for an average 34.1 percent of TV time across the EU.