The LDPP implemented the principles of the Faro Framework Convention (on the value of cultural heritage for society) and the Florence Convention (on European landscape). It provided a specific contribution to the most important political priorities of the Council of Europe: strengthening European democracy; promoting more efficient and transparent governance; implementing new integrated and sustainable development models.

These community-led and place-based pilot projects were based on some key principles: the local population as a main player in development, heritage as an asset, synergies created for a common project.

The LDPP objectives were the following: to promote and manage local cultural, natural and human heritages as sustainable resources and a common good; to plan and develop territories both socially and economically, while respecting their specificities; to elaborate innovative projects which can generate investments that are better adapted to local resources and integrated into the public action; to have new procedures and methods of action validated that can be used in other territories at national or international level.

The LDPP was successfully implemented in Slovenia (Karst region, 1998-2002), and has been in operation in Croatia and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” since 2008, and in Cyprus since 2012. It is on hold in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia.