ELCA sajtónyilatkozat EU konzultáció

ELCA reacts on EU-consultation variables study European Living Conditions

The European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) has send in positive feedback on the EU-consultation on the variables for studying European living conditions (green spaces). ELCA is welcoming the fact that the variables ‘walking distance to the nearest public green space’ (HEE01) and ‘satisfaction with public green spaces in the local area’ (PW201) are added to the 2025 list of ad hoc subject Energy and the Environment.

Based on the Vitamin-G research, done by the Dutch scientist Jolanda Maas, greenery is of great importance in the neighbourhood. People who are living in an area with much greenery (90% in a radius of 1 kilometre around the house) do not only feel more healthy, but appear to go less to the doctor. Especially anxiety neuroses and depressions occur less. The same counts for infections on respiratory tracts, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart failure. On the list of 24 medical diseases
that were on the research list, 15 of them occur significantly less by people living in a green area. In areas with less greenery there are 33% more people coming at the doctor with complaints linked to depression in comparison with people living in more green areas. According to Jolanda Maas there is a lot to gain with greening areas specifically for children, youngsters, elderly people and people with a lower social economic status. Looking from this point of view a green neighbourhood is a nature
based solution that has great importance for public health.

ELCA recommends to consider a more frequent monitoring of the variables HEE01 and PW201, possibly linked to other EU-initiatives that focus on greening urban areas such as the Nature Restoration Law, in the future.