Magdi Birtha

Research Team Leader

Social Protection and Inclusion

EDUCATION

PhD in Law, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland) 

MA in Sociology, Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Social Sciences (Budapest, Hungary)

LANGUAGES

Hungarian (mother tongue), English, French, German

CONTACT

Phone: +43 1 319 45 05-34
E-mail: birtha@euro.centre.org

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Rights of persons with disabilities, transition from institutional to community-based care and support services, social inclusion of vulnerable groups, human rights approach in long-term care, quality in social services 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Scoppetta, A., Birtha, M. & Gjylsheni, S. (2024). Mutual learning in social welfare in  the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership region, Policy Brief 2024/5. Vienna: European Centre.

European Commission (2023). Disability-relevance of quality assurance systems in social services - Synthesis report with input from the country experts of the European Disability Expertise (EDE), written by M. Birtha, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

Birtha, M., Zólyomi, E., Wohlgemuth, F. and Gjylsheni, S. (2023). Targeted measures for persons with disabilities to cope with the cost-of-living crisis. European Parliament Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs Directorate-General for Internal Policies PE 754.127.

Wladasch, K., Allram-Naaijer, K. & Birtha, M. (2023). The role of national human rights bodies in monitoring fundamental rights in EU funded programmes, Policy Brief 2023/2. Vienna: European Centre.

Gjylsheni, S., Birtha, M. and Kadi, S. (2023). Evolving jobs, skills and training needs in the social services sector and the role of social partners in managing changesBrussels: European Federation of Public Service Unions.

Geyer, L., Wohlgemuth, F., Scoppetta, A. and Birtha, M. (2023). Peer Review Moldova Report “Social Assistance Benefit - The design of the social assistance benefit in Moldova: Improving targeting and supporting employment” (Moldova, 6-7 September 2022; online). Vienna: European Centre.

Birtha, M., Scoppetta, A., Sandu, V. (2022). Peer Review Kosovo Report “The integrated policy approach applied for vulnerable groups of society with the Active Inclusion Integration Platform (AIIP) of the Republic of Kosovo” (Kosovo, 21-22 June 2022; online). Vienna: European Centre.

Sandu, V., Birtha, M., Ianachevici, M., Premrov, T. & Kahlert, R. (2022). Situation Analysis of children and adolescents in Moldova. Commissioned by UNICEF Country Office Moldova. Vienna: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research

European Commission (2022). European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021: Conference report, written by M. Birtha. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

Birtha, M. & Sandu, V. (2021). Conceptual framework: developing a tool to collect and assess good practices in the context of non-residential community-based services for older people. Vienna: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research.

Birtha, M. (2020). Implementation of Article 19 CRPD in Hungary. In: Johnson, K. & Kakoullis, E. (Eds.), Recognising rights in different cultural contexts: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Birtha, M. (2020). How to put reasonable accommodation into practice? Handbook on success stories to fight discrimination of persons with disabilities in the workplace. Brussels: European Commission.

Zólyomi, E. & Birtha, M. (2020). Towards inclusive employment of persons with disabilities: A comparative study of six social economy organisations and companies in Europe. Vienna: European Centre.

Sandu, V. & Birtha, M. (2020). Mapping promising social services and policy measures to support the independnet living of older people: Literature review: Definitions, models and dimensions of good practices. Vienna: European Centre.

Birtha, M., Rodrigues, R., Zólyomi, E., Sandu, V. & Schulmann, K. (2019). From disability rights towards a rights-based approach to long-term care in Europe: Building an index of rights-based policies for older people. Vienna: European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research.

Kozma, Á., Petri, G., Balogh, A. & Birtha, M. (2016). The role of EU funding in deinstitutionalisation (DI) in Hungary and the experiences of the DI programme so far. Report for Open Society Foundation.

Birtha, M. (2014). A chance to pioneer or a lost opportunity?: Monitoring disability rights effectively and independently in the EU in line with Article 33 of the UN CRPD. In: European Yearbook of Disability Law, Volume 5, Intersentia.

Birtha, M. (2013). Nothing about CRPD monitoring without us – case study on the disability movement’s involvement in policy-making in Zambia, In: African Disability Rights Yearbook, University of Pretoria.

Birtha, M. (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Rapporteur of the Work Forum on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the EU and the Member States organised by the European Commission.