European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act harmonizes accessibility requirements for key products and digital services across the EU, with obligations applicable from June 2025. Compliance is typically shown via EN 301 549 and WCAG, enforced by national market-surveillance authorities.
Overview
The European Accessibility Act (EAA), Directive (EU) 2019/882, is a landmark EU law harmonizing accessibility requirements for products and services across all member states. Adopted in 2019, its core obligations became applicable on 28 June 2025. The EAA aims to remove barriers caused by divergent national rules and to ensure that key products and services are usable by people with disabilities and older people.
The EAA covers the private sector broadly and complements the earlier Web Accessibility Directive, which applies to public-sector bodies. Together they create comprehensive EU coverage of digital accessibility.
Who It Applies To
The EAA covers economic operators (manufacturers, importers, distributors, and service providers) that place in scope products or provide in scope services on the EU market. Covered products include computers, smartphones, self-service terminals such as ATMs and ticketing machines, and e-readers. Covered services include e-commerce, consumer banking, electronic communications, e-books, ticketing, and access to audiovisual media services. Microenterprises providing services have certain exemptions.
Key Requirements
Products and services must meet functional accessibility requirements set out in the directive, covering perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness of information and user interfaces. For digital services this is typically demonstrated through conformance with EN 301 549, which in turn references WCAG. Providers must perform conformity assessment, prepare technical documentation, affix CE marking on covered products, and publish accessibility statements describing how requirements are met.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Member states set their own penalties, which must be effective, proportionate, and dissuasive, and they designate market-surveillance authorities. Consequences can include fines, orders to bring products or services into conformity, and removal of non-compliant products from the market. Penalty levels vary significantly by country.
How to Comply
Organizations should map which products and services fall in scope, then conform to EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 Level AA or later for digital interfaces. Build accessibility into design and procurement, conduct conformity assessment, maintain technical documentation, and publish an accessibility statement. Establish ongoing monitoring and a remediation process to maintain conformance over time.