European Accessibility Act (EAA) — the EU directive for accessibility

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is EU Directive (EU) 2019/882, adopted on 17 April 2019. It sets uniform accessibility requirements across the EU for certain products and services and builds on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Its aim is to replace a patchwork of national rules with a common standard — which makes trade across the single market easier and secures equal access for around 87 million people with disabilities in the EU.

Since when does the EAA apply?

Member states had to transpose the directive into national law by 28 June 2022; it applies EU-wide from 28 June 2025. Transition periods exist for certain existing offerings — application can in some cases be deferred until 28 June 2030, ongoing service contracts for up to five years, and self-service terminals already in use for up to 20 years.

EAA and national laws: how they fit together

The EAA is a directive — it doesn’t apply directly but must be transposed into national law by each member state. Germany does this through the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG). Other countries have their own implementing laws (for example Spain’s Law 11/2023, Italy’s Legislative Decree 82/2022, and France’s Law 2023-171). So which national law applies to you depends on the markets you serve — the EAA is the common European framework behind them all.

Who and what is affected?

The EAA applies to businesses that offer certain products and services to consumers in the EU market — regardless of whether the business is based in the EU. Covered areas include:

• Services: e-commerce (online shops, websites and apps), consumer banking services, electronic communications, elements of passenger transport, e-books and audiovisual media services.
• Products: computers and smartphones, self-service and payment terminals, ticketing machines, e-readers and certain telecommunications equipment.

As under national implementations, there is an exemption for microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and no more than €2 million in annual turnover/balance sheet) — but only for services.

Not legal advice — check whether and how you’re affected in your specific case.

Which technical standard applies?

The EAA states requirements but no single technology. In practice, accessibility is demonstrated through the European standard EN 301 549, which in turn references the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) — currently WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with an update to WCAG 2.2 in preparation. An accessibility statement is part of it as well.

What’s at stake if you don’t comply

Enforcement and penalties are set by each member state. In Germany, for example, the BFSG provides for fines of up to €100,000 and, in extreme cases, a ban on offering the service, plus formal warnings. Authorities in several countries have already begun market surveillance, and the first proceedings at European level have started since the rules took effect.

What you should do now

Assess your website against the WCAG, fix barriers in the code, and publish an accessibility statement. Welcoma supports you here: an on-screen menu that helps visitors right away, a WCAG scanner (coming soon) that surfaces real issues, and a statement generator. Honestly: a widget alone does not create EAA compliance — that only happens once the underlying issues are fixed. For WordPress: accessibility plugin for WordPress.

The EAA in depth

Five focused guides go deeper than this overview:

• Who must comply with the EAA? — scope, B2C vs B2B and the microenterprise exemption.
• EAA deadlines — since when it applies, and who the 2030 date really covers.
• The EAA and national laws — how the directive relates to the law that applies to you.
• EAA penalties and enforcement — what happens if you do not comply.
• EAA compliance checklist — the technical points to work through, ordered by the four WCAG principles.