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Düsseldorf (dpa) - The operators of ski lifts can hope for more state aid than previously planned.

In a joint declaration, the economics ministers of the federal states are in favor of not using the same period of the previous year as the reference value for state financial injections, but the past three years.

Last winter there was relatively little snow, so the income of the ski lift operators was correspondingly low.

It was better in the years before.

There is a lot of snow this year, but the lifts have to remain closed due to the pandemic.

The request of the state ministers is addressed to the federal government, which should decide.

The aid would be provided under Bridging Aid III.

Late on Thursday afternoon, the heads of department of the federal states and Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) exchanged views via video at the conference of economics ministers.

The letter in which, among other things, the ski lift request is, is to a certain extent the result of these discussions.

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The chairman of the conference of economics ministers, NRW department head Andreas Pinkwart (FDP), is open to more help for ski lift operators.

The operators carry a "meteorological risk".

However, they took this into account for their business - in years with a lot of snow they would have to be able to put so much money on the high edge that they could survive years with little snow economically.

Therefore, it is particularly bitter for the operator that it snowed a lot in the current corona winter, Pinkwart told the dpa.

If you were to look at the decline in sales only in comparison to the snow-poor winter 2019, they would hardly get any money from Bridging Aid III, the minister pointed out.

Then the operators would be hit twice as hard - they are missing out on good current business and they would receive less aid than other industries.

"The concern is properly justified, I now hope for the approval of the federal government," said the liberal.

In Germany there are ski lifts in the Black Forest and on the Bavarian edge of the Alps.

There are also runs with lifts in the Eifel, Sauerland, Harz and Thuringian Forest.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210122-99-132010 / 2