In 2001 already, the debate on relation between associations and groups treated the passage of misunderstanding in complementarity . The second stage of the d centralisapassage. The second stage of decentralisation since speeded up this process of complementarity of unprofitable private and public intervention in local public action. Indeed, decentralisation is well accompanied by a deep reform of public action towards associations. For the first time, the disengagement of the State is measured with a fall of 5 % of its financings for associations between 1999 and 2005 against an increase of 20 % of the financing of general instructions, 6 % villages, and 40 % for regional councils (even if these last count associative resources only for 4 % totals of, against 10 % for departments and more than 14 % for villages). Sociological and demographic phenomena also play on the future of the sector, on its gouvernance (renewal of the leaders, balance of territories) and must be taken into account in the future of relations associations - local authorities and public actions which follow from it (accompaniment, assistants to plans, mutualisation of means and of competences etc.). From these official reports, we offer to the participants of the day of January 19th, 2008, to pursue following aims:

• Describe the existent of relations associations villages departments, by offering in the analysis and in debates good listed practices.
• Discuss together the place and the role of associations in near democracy by taking into account first balance sheets of decentralisation and experiments of participative democracy.
• Clarify contractual forms of partnership, around transverse question settings on the manners of the public financing of associative plan and its activities, notably with regard to the appeal growing in the state commission.
• Make commitments for relations future associations local authorities by envisaging charters or draught agreements between the organised associative world and the associations of the mayors and departments of France. These objectives of official reports, of debates, of proposals and of commitments would allow to favour better the recognition of associations as of intermediate bodies necessary to the good functioning of our society, both as means of democratic deepening and as factor of improvement of the performances of the group.