This work aimed to improve the knowledge and the control of interactions between lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and propionibacteria (PAB) in order to control the propionic acid fermentation in European hard cheeses, and therefore their quality. Among more than 50 couples of strains LAB/PAB used in cheese making, some pairs of strains were chosen in function of quality results on cheeses (sensorial analysis). A whey model system and an alternative conductimetric method, with good reproducibility were used to study interactions. The lipolytic activity of PAB strains varied by a factor 4 to 5. The aroma of ripened Emmental cheese was linked to the level and the type of lipolysis in the cheese, correlated with lipolytic activity of PAB. The main pathways of the utilisation of lactate by PAB, studied by 13C RMN, were useful to understand the balance between final products: acetic, propionic acid, CO2.