The EAA entered into force in June 2025. If you run a commercial website, e-commerce store, or digital service accessible to EU consumers, here is what the law requires — and how to check your compliance today.
⚡ Quick start: The free EUComply scanner checks whether your site has an accessibility statement linked from the homepage — the minimum EAA requirement. Run it now in under 10 seconds.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) — Directive (EU) 2019/882 — is an EU law that sets common accessibility requirements for products and services. It came into effect for most member states on June 28, 2025.
Its goal: ensure that digital products and services are usable by people with disabilities across the EU. No more fragmented national accessibility laws — one standard for all 27 member states.
Key fact: An estimated 87 million people in the EU have some form of disability. The EAA was designed to give them equal access to digital services — and give businesses a single set of rules instead of 27 different national standards.
If your website falls into any of these categories, the EAA applies to you:
| Category | Examples | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | Online shops, booking platforms, marketplaces | June 2025 (active) |
| Banking & payments | Online banking, mobile payment apps, insurance portals | June 2025 (active) |
| Transport | Ticketing websites, real-time travel info, check-in portals | June 2025 (active) |
| Telecommunications | VoIP services, messaging apps, phone company portals | June 2025 (active) |
| Media & entertainment | Streaming services, e-books, video on demand | June 2025 (active) |
| Education | Online course platforms, university portals, e-learning | June 2025 (active) |
If your business-to-consumer (B2C) digital service is available in the EU market, you are likely in scope. The EAA also applies to B2B services where those services are also offered to consumers.
This is the minimum requirement and should be live today. An accessibility statement is a published page that:
Use the EUComply scanner to check if your site already has an accessibility statement link on the homepage. If it's missing, that's the first thing to fix.
The EAA references EN 301 549 (the European standard for digital accessibility), which in turn references the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The target level is WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with WCAG 2.2 gaining traction.
Key technical areas to address:
h1, h2, h3), ARIA landmarks where neededThe EAA requires that you monitor and maintain accessibility — it's not a one-time fix. Document your approach:
There is a partial exemption for micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees and turnover under €2M). However:
💡 Business case for accessibility: Accessible sites have better SEO (semantic HTML, alt text, headings), lower bounce rates, and broader audience reach. The UK's Click-Away Pound survey estimated that UK e-commerce loses £17.1 billion per year from inaccessible websites.
Enforcement varies by member state, but penalties can include:
Several member states already have active enforcement for public-sector accessibility. Private-sector enforcement under the EAA is expected to ramp up through 2026-2027.
| Regulation | How it relates to the EAA |
|---|---|
| GDPR | Accessibility overlays and usability tools sometimes collect user data — ensures privacy by design applies. |
| WCAG | The EAA's technical requirements are based on WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA — they are complementary, not conflicting. |
| eCommerce Directive / Consumer Rights | Accessibility affects the "clear and comprehensible" standard for consumer information. |
| NIS2 / DORA | Security baselines overlap — accessible sites with semantic HTML tend to be more robust. |
alt="" (empty), informative images need descriptive text.The EUComply scanner checks for EAA accessibility statement presence, security headers, and other technical compliance factors — free, no sign-up.
Run free scan →Works on WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Squarespace, Next.js — any platform.
For deeper compliance: The ComplianceDocs store has EAA accessibility statement templates, compliance documentation guides, and NIS2 vendor clauses — ready to download, fill in, and publish. From $29.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. EAA requirements and enforcement vary by member state transposition. Consult a qualified legal professional for advice specific to your jurisdiction and business.