In Europe it is evident how much the functions of landscapes are defined by complex and region-specific interactions of natural processes with human activities. In this research we aimed to identify the agro-environmental functions targeted by policy-makers through thematic statutory documents. Which functions do policy-makers consider? How do they link them to farming? Which are the targeted landscapes sustaining them? To answer to these questions we compared the local statutory plans in two European agricultural regions, Puy de Dome (Auvergne, France) and Grosseto Province (Tuscany, Italy), which differs both in agricultural systems and bio-physical environment. We developed a three steps method that aimed to identify: (i) a representative and comparable set of planning documents, (ii) the main agro-environmental demands expressed as well as their localisation, (iii) the way such agro-environmental demands are related with farming activities. We founded that policy-makers target common resources as water and biodiversity on a considered wider set, but resulting in different and not comparable objectives. Therefore the stated agro-environmental demands are difficult to assess and so to take into account. We distinguished two ways to link them to the landscape: by targeting its physical dimension or the agro-environmental process that may modify the state of resources. All the demands are differently localised within the regions and their links to farming activities are poorly expressed. In conclusion, our results gave an alternative way for reading the agricultural and environmental plans and documents produced by policy-makers as a preliminary step for landscape functions assessment.