Convergence
Animaux
Politique
Support our efforts to change the law in favor of animals.
Convergence
Animaux
Politique
Support our efforts to change the law in favour of animals.
Convergence Animaux Politique (CAP) is a non-profit charity founded in 2017 to fill a critical gap in the French animal protection movement by coordinating and empowering effective lobbying for animal welfare. By strategically coordinating and supporting the work of 25 partner NGOs, we extend the reach and impact of their expertise, empowering animal welfare policies with a united and compelling voice.
Our main areas of focus concern farmed animals welfare, diet change towards plant-based nutrition, and wildlife. We also work to reduce animal testing, end acts of cruelty (such as bullfighting), and improve protections for companion animals and animals living in captivity. Animal protection governance and education are also part of our scope of intervention.
Why CAP?
Before CAP, lobbying efforts in France were fragmented, with only a few organizations reaching out to policymakers in an uncoordinated manner, leading to unclear demands for decision-makers. The absence of a unified strategy meant NGOs were largely reactive, lacking the cohesive approach needed to set the political agenda. Additionally, there was no central voice for animal welfare that policymakers could easily identify, leaving sympathetic politicians disconnected and without opportunities for collaboration.
Designed to address these needs within France’s animal welfare movement, CAP offers an innovative platform that promotes collaboration, reinforces advocacy efforts, and drives legal protections and policy reforms.
Why Focus on France? France is one of Europe’s largest animal product producers, holding significant influence both domestically and within the EU. France’s role as a frequent barrier to EU-wide animal welfare reforms makes it essential to target policy advancements here, as positive shifts in France can create a ripple effect across Europe.
Our key achievements
In 2021, we achieved a historic political victory with the adoption of the animal cruelty law in Parliament, which includes 38 measures to improve the protection of companion animals and animals in captivity, notably the end of mink farming for fur, the ban on wild animal performances in circuses and the inclusion of animal ethics in school curricula.
In 2022, during the French presidential and legislative elections, we successfully engaged 8 presidential candidates and 410 legislative candidates in favor of animal protection through our Animal Commitment campaign, which brought together 30 animal protection NGOs. For the first time in an electoral campaign, animal welfare emerged in both the debates and the political parties’ platforms.
In 2023, working on the French agricultural policy bill, we obtained the inclusion of several NGOs to the government working group sessions and advocated for a moratorium on cage systems. Thanks to our action, 47 amendments in favor of animals were tabled during parliamentary debates. We remain focused on this issue as the bill goes to the Senate in January 2025.
In 2024, we brought 53 animal protection NGOs from 11 European countries together in Paris for the first International Conference for Animals in Politics (ICAP) to initiate greater consultation and cooperation between animal NGOs, beyond national borders. During the European elections, we launched a new Animal Commitment campaign in collaboration with 29 NGOs and Eurogroup for Animals. Despite the challenges posed by the agricultural crisis in France, we secured commitments from 41 out of 81 elected French candidates to support our manifesto of 33 measures. These commitments are crucial for advancing animal welfare and will strengthen our national advocacy efforts.
To find out more about our recent achievements, please find our last activity report here. If you have any question about our work, feel free to contact us.
Our team
Melvin Josse
Founder and director
Melvin holds a PhD in Political Science and published a thesis titled Repression and Animal Advocacy in 2021. For the past fifteen years, he has been an activist and has worked for several animal rights organizations. He is also a co-founder of the Animalist Party.
Hugo Marro-Menotti
Advocacy and Legal Officer
A trained lawyer and specialist in European law, Hugo joined CAP in 2022 to strengthen its advocacy efforts for farmed animals welfare and food transition. He regularly publishes animal law articles on LinkedIn.
Milton Federici
Public Affairs Officer
Since 2020, Milton has led several key initiatives at CAP, such as supporting the law against animal abuse and coordinating advocacy efforts with the government for the inclusion of animal welfare in the post-COVID recovery plan.
Juliette Parade
Operations and Engagement Officer
Since 2021, Juliette is responsible for CAP events organization, communication, supporting our partner NGOs and manage our volunteer team. Also involved in the effective altruism movement and co-founder of Pro Animaux, Juliette is convinced of the power of community and organization for the animal rights movement.
Charlotte Clabaut
Fundraising Officer
Charlotte joined CAP in 2021 as a project manager to coordinate our “Engagement Animaux” campaign, which successfully engaged candidates in the presidential, legislative, and European elections in favor of animal welfare. A graduate of the French Fundraising Certificate, she is now responsible for CAP’s development.
Malou Longo
Advocacy Intern
Malou is a Master’s student in Advocacy Law and Public Affairs. She has completed various internships in the non-profit sector and in public affairs firms, focusing on ecology and agricultural and food transition issues, before joining CAP as an intern in September 2024 to support our advocacy team.