Bavaria's state cabinet approved legislation Wednesday that clears the way for it to invest millions in Munich's preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics should the German city win the right to host the games.
Bavaria foresees putting as much as $222 million into competition sites and accommodation if the bid is successful. In addition, up to $55.5 million would go into environmental projects.
A statement from the state government said Bavarian officials ''want to make optimal use of the opportunities from a successful bid for the Winter Games.''
Munich is competing against Annecy, France; and Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The IOC will select the host city in a vote in July 2011 in Durban, South Africa.
Both the Bavarian cabinet and Munich's city council also signed off on Munich's candidacy documents, its so-called bid book.
Bid chief executive Bernhard Schwank hailed ''strong cross-political party support for what we believe will be a convincing and strong bid book.''
Munich, which hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, is trying to become the first city to stage both the summer and winter games.
The bid has been troubled in recent months - particularly by a standoff with farmers in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, south of the Bavarian capital, over the use of their land for the Olympics.
