European and Spanish interpretation of third sector

The European and Spanish social service provision sector can increasingly be characterized by cooperation of the state, market and the third sector and as its consequences the mutual hierarchical and dependency relations. Because of the structural crisis of the neo-liberal capitalism and welfare state in Europe, households, civil society and generally the third sector have more and more responsibilities. Therefore, development of the third sector should be seen through double glass: in one hand, it is institutionalized actor of the European welfare systems. (Institutional dimension, the authors are focusing on it in the second part of the article.) On other hand, as the organizer of the welfare social programs in Spain, this is able to manage social investments, and can find innovative solutions. (Functional and political-economic dimension, analyzed in the third part of the article.) Finally, the article deals with its development in the future.