The Lake Geneva Council, bringing together Swiss cantons and French departments around the lake, stressed Friday, December 4 the "
damaging issues
" of the closure of ski lifts in France, and asked for a relaxation, while the population can ski in Switzerland.
Read also: Ski resorts in Andorra will not open for Christmas, Spain will limit access to its resorts
"
The institutional partners of the Council of Lake Geneva have decided to send the Presidency of the French Republic (...) a letter highlighting the damaging issues of the closure of ski lifts in France for the Lake Geneva region as a whole
", they said. indicated in a press release.
This letter will also be sent "
to the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local Authorities as well as to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
".
The Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, benefiting from Observer status within the Lake Geneva Council, has joined this process as a co-signatory with the French Departments of Haute-Savoie and Ain as well as the Swiss cantons of Geneva, Valais and Vaud.
Stressing that certain Alpine and Jura resorts straddle French and Swiss territories - such as the "
Portes du Soleil
" and "
Jura sur Léman
", the Council of Léman considers that the "
closure of ski lifts, but also in place of restrictive measures, condemn the economic and societal activity around mountain resorts
”.
"
Also, subject to the implementation in ski resorts of an appropriate health protocol, it seems fundamental to favor a relaxation with a pragmatic approach to the secure opening of ski lifts
", writes the Lake Geneva Council.
In France, French ski resorts may reopen at Christmas, but ski lifts will have to remain closed to avoid crowds, while in Switzerland ski resorts and ski lifts are open with health protection measures.
While the European controversy on this subject has continued to swell in recent days, Switzerland, put under pressure by Paris but also Rome and Berlin, must present during the day its action plan for the end of year celebrations. year.