Green lobby at European institutions

‘Is Brussels far away?’

We start our interview with Egbert Roozen, Secretary General of the European Landscape Contractors Association, with this question about his work in Brussels. “If you look at the number of kilometres or talk about the distance to European politics, that will indeed evoke that feeling in many people.” Yet, with great enthusiasm, Egbert immediately makes it clear that European politics is certainly not far removed from our green practice. 

To clarify what is expected of his work in Brussels, Egbert emphasises that Brussels is not concerned with ‘today’s market’. That market already exists, and entrepreneurs are active within it, securing interesting contracts based on their unique selling points. “We mustn’t get in their way. Nor is Brussels about ‘tomorrow’s market’. That is the task of ELCA’s national members: to expand and strengthen the market by coordinating matters collectively. Think of collective working conditions, education and promotion. In Brussels, it’s about the ‘market of the day after tomorrow’. At European level, we look at the major societal challenges where we, as the green sector, can play a role, such as improving the living environment, biodiversity and people’s health. We are positioning ourselves around these themes. As a sort of diplomat, it is my job to ensure that our sector is visible in Brussels and that it is clear what we as a sector need in order to keep pace with these developments. I don’t do this alone, mind you, because there is a very strong link between European and national lobbying. Think of me as part of our members’ national teams. We work closely together, and I am very grateful for that.”

The EU Nature Restoration Regulation as a cornerstone
The European Nature Restoration Regulation is high on Egbert’s agenda. On behalf of the green sector, he acts as an expert for the European Commission in the development and implementation of this regulation. “This Regulation is of enormous significance for our market development. We have now enshrined in law the obligation to green urban areas. For years, we have tried through education, promotion, research and experiments to raise the profile of green spaces on the political agenda, but we kept getting stuck in a realm of non-commitment. That is now over. Until 2030, there must be no net loss of green space or tree canopy area in urban areas. Between 2030 and 2050, both areas must increase until a satisfactory level is reached. This greening will take place in private gardens, public spaces and on buildings. National governments are currently drawing up their restoration plans, which must be ready by September 2026. Here too, we are seeing close collaboration between ELCA and our national members, with them proactively presenting our ideas and possibilities for urban greening to their governments.”

Opportunities for innovation in our business case
But there is more on the European agenda. Egbert: “If we view the European Nature Restoration Regulation as a foundation for the future development of our green sector, there are currently several other topics on the European agenda that contribute to the innovation and further expansion of our green business case. What about our role in achieving water and climate resilience through our green solutions? Or how can we upcycle our green waste streams into green raw materials within the Bio-Economy? How do we ensure a safe and healthy living environment amidst the major challenge of housing construction? Can we use Nature Credits and the EU Taxonomy to secure more funding for investments in green projects? In the latter regard, we must not forget that we need funding for long-term maintenance so that the desired ecosystem services are actually delivered.”

Vocational education
In addition to these topics, Egbert is also involved in the evaluation of the European Public Procurement Directive and issues related to day-to-day business operations. In this regard, he works closely with the European umbrella organisations SMEunited and EcoPreneur. Egbert: “I often hear from entrepreneurs that they are struggling to attract enough well-trained skilled workers. High-quality green education is key to solving this. At ELCA, we consider this issue so important that we have made it the central theme of our 2026 annual plan. We have launched the ambition to establish a European network of Centres of Vocational Excellence, in which we will collaborate with businesses and schools to identify our labour market needs, organise training programmes for students and workers, develop innovative curricula, and build a European network for work placements. This initiative ties in with the EU Union of Skills and the new strategy for vocational education and training that the European Commission is currently working on. Alongside the Nature Restoration Regulation, vocational education and training for our green sector is also very high on my list of priorities!”

Egbert: “There is work to be done in Brussels! Work that we can only carry out in close collaboration with our national members and with input from the members of our Business Platform. We are firmly convinced that there are tremendous development prospects ahead for our sector, for which European cooperation is of enormous importance and offers us opportunities. We at ELCA would like to be of service in this regard and share with you our enthusiasm for a mission through which, together, we can take our sector to an even higher level across Europe.”