EU Accessibility Act requirements: the full guide
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) became enforceable across EU member states from June 2025. If you sell digital products or services to EU consumers, here's what it actually requires — scope, dates, and the four practical steps to compliance.
What the EAA is
The EAA is an EU directive setting common accessibility requirements for a defined list of products and services sold or provided in the EU — e-commerce, banking, e-books, electronic communications, and the digital tools (websites, apps, ticketing) that deliver transport services, among others. Because it's a directive rather than a regulation, exact legal text, enforcement authority, and penalties vary by country — but the underlying substantive requirements are harmonised, and for web content they line up closely with WCAG 2.2 AA. If you sell digital products or services to consumers in the EU, this is very likely the accessibility law your compliance work needs to be organized around.
Who's in scope
In-scope services (non-exhaustive):
- E-commerce — any online store selling to EU consumers
- Banking services, particularly consumer banking
- E-books and dedicated e-reader software
- Electronic communications services
- Audiovisual media services access (the interface/access layer)
- Transport services — websites, apps and ticketing for air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport
In-scope products:
- Computers and operating systems
- ATMs, ticketing machines, and check-in machines
- E-readers
What matters is the EU location of the customer, not the EU location of your business. A US-headquartered SaaS company selling e-commerce software to EU consumers is in scope regardless of where its team sits.
Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million in annual turnover or balance sheet total providing services (not products) generally qualify for the microenterprise exemption — see our full EAA microenterprise exemption guide for the exact test and its caveats.
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2019 | EAA enters into force at EU level. |
| 28 June 2022 | Deadline for member states to transpose the EAA into national law. |
| 28 June 2025 | Compliance deadline. Products placed on the market and services provided from this date onward must comply. This is the date that matters for most businesses. |
| 28 June 2030 | General transitional-period end date and the outer limit for grandfathered service contracts concluded before 28 June 2025. |
| Entry into use + up to 20 years | Self-service terminals (ATMs, ticket machines) lawfully in use before 28 June 2025 may keep running until end of normal economic service life, capped at 20 years per terminal. |
What compliance concretely requires
For most businesses in scope, compliance means four ongoing things, not a one-time fix:
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Publish an accessibility statement
Kept current, naming your conformance standard and status. See our accessibility statement examples and free template guide.
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Meet WCAG 2.2 AA for web content
EN 301 549 is the harmonised European standard that operationalises EAA compliance for ICT; for web content it substantially aligns with WCAG 2.2 AA.
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Run a feedback mechanism
A real, monitored channel for users to report accessibility barriers and request alternatives, referenced in your statement.
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Monitor on an ongoing basis
New pages, features, and third-party embeds can reintroduce barriers — re-testing needs to be a recurring part of how you ship, not a one-time audit.
Enforcement — general overview
The EAA does not have a single central EU enforcement body. Each member state designates its own national market surveillance or enforcement authority, and the specifics — how complaints are filed, what evidence is required, what penalties apply — vary by country. Non-compliance can result in outcomes ranging from fines to orders to withdraw a non-compliant product or service from that market, depending on the member state.
If you operate in multiple EU markets, you'll likely need country-specific detail beyond this overview — the Pro tier of our kit includes a country-by-country EU enforcement cheat-sheet for exactly this.
EU-focused? Get the enforcement cheat-sheet in the kit
AccessibleDocs Kit's Core tier gives you the EU accessibility statement template, WCAG 2.2 self-audit checklist, and EAA scope-assessment worksheet. Pro adds the country-by-country EU enforcement cheat-sheet, so you know exactly which national authority to name.
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When did the European Accessibility Act become enforceable?
The EAA entered into force at EU level in 2019. Member states had until 28 June 2022 to transpose it into national law. The compliance deadline that matters for most businesses is 28 June 2025.
What technical standard does the EAA require for websites?
EN 301 549 is the harmonised European standard that formally operationalises EAA compliance for ICT. For web content, it substantially aligns with WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
Who enforces the European Accessibility Act?
There is no single central EU enforcement body. Each member state designates its own national market surveillance or enforcement authority, and complaint procedures and penalties vary by country.
Is this legal advice?
No. This guide reflects general expectations under the EAA and EN 301 549 and does not constitute legal advice. Scope, exemptions, and enforcement are applied differently by each member state — confirm your specific obligations with qualified counsel.