The article deals with the evolution of the various forms of cooperatives existing in French law. The regulations are presented chronologically, starting with the Act of 1867 and continuing with the regulations currently in force, in particular those of 1947. The types of cooperatives are presented according to the economic sector, which are a function of the private law regulations. Questions related to the French legal practice and theory, which may be important for the Polish practice and regulations, have been raised. Among other things, the answers to the following questions will be analyzed: what reforms have been carried out to adapt the old idea of cooperatives to the new economic conditions in France and in the world, whether the French cooperative model is a regulatory success or perhaps it developed by adapting to the environment, hence the large amount of case law in this system, why a cooperative code has not been created and whether it has an impact on the activities of cooperatives, although the share of cooperatives in many sectors of the economy is significant