This book explores Europe's third sector - the non-profit organisations and providers of social services such as mutuals, co-operatives, associations, voluntary organisations and charities that are important yet often overlooked features in contemporary socio-economics and social policy. The pathbreaking contributions examine the third sector in Europe within a framework which seeks to conceptually integrate two hitherto separate debates: that concerning the 'social economy' of co-operatives and mutuals, and the debate on voluntary and non-profit organisations. Theoretical concepts are...