The Evolution of Public Service Provision by the Third Sector in France

Public services have been externalised, in part, to the non-profit sector in France and in the United Kingdom. This article begins by reviewing relations between the public and non-profit sector in France before 2008, and its evolution since. This has been characterised by the slow reduction of public funding, the adaptation of non-profit associations and organisations, and their clearer positioning within a wider social and solidarity economy', which was consolidated by a framework Law in 2014. The article then examines the current sharing of responsibilities between the public and non-profit sectors in education, health and social services, pointing to the diverse historical and political conditions which have led to this shared organisation.