A great number of associative and cooperative experiences has arisen everywbere in Europe since the 1970s’, particulary in the fields of local initiatives and new « relational » services. According to our framework analysis, these practices are better understood by a civil and solidarity-based economy perspective, emphasizing their potential of economic democratization, rather than by the usual references to third sector, social economy or non governemental organizations. Nevertheless, as the interactions between collective and public actions have been decisive in the european history to organize the resistance against the utopia of « market society », the future of this solidarity-based economy appears to be closely linked to the recognition by public policies. But at the european and national levels, it still remains partial and the relevance of such an economy is a highly controversial subject.