The European Accessibility Act (EAA): Who Must Comply and How
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) became enforceable on 28 June 2025 and reaches far beyond the EU — any business selling covered products or services into the EU is in scope. Here is what it requires.
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) is the EU's first cross-border accessibility law for the private sector. Enforcement began on 28 June 2025, and it applies regardless of where your company is based — what matters is whether you offer covered products or services to people in the EU.
Who must comply?
The EAA applies to economic operators — manufacturers, importers, distributors, and service providers — that place in-scope products or services on the EU market. A U.S. or UK company selling into the EU is covered just as an EU-based one is.
What products and services are in scope?
- E-commerce and online stores
- Consumer banking and financial services
- Telecommunications services
- Transport ticketing, websites, and apps
- E-books and e-readers
- Audiovisual media access services
- Computers, smartphones, ATMs, and ticketing machines
Is there a small-business exemption?
Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million annual turnover) that provide services are exempt from the bulk of the obligations. There is no blanket exemption for products, and the threshold is genuinely small — most growing businesses will not qualify.
What technical standard applies?
The EAA itself is outcome-based, but conformance with the harmonized standard EN 301 549 — which incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content — gives you a presumption of conformity. In practice, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA (or 2.2 AA to be safe) is the path most teams take.
If you already target WCAG 2.2 Level AA for ADA purposes, you are most of the way to EAA conformance for your website and apps.
Key deadlines
- 28 June 2025 — the EAA applies to new products and services.
- 28 June 2027 — emergency (112) communications must conform.
- 28 June 2030 — transition period ends for service-related products already in use before 2025.
How to get compliant
- Confirm whether your products/services and EU customers put you in scope.
- Scan your website and apps against WCAG 2.2 AA to find barriers.
- Remediate at the code level and document conformance against EN 301 549.
- Publish an accessibility statement and a feedback channel for EU users.
- Monitor continuously so new releases stay conformant.
A free accessibilitywebsite.com scan is a fast way to baseline your WCAG 2.2 AA status before tackling EN 301 549 documentation.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the European Accessibility Act apply to US companies?
- Yes. The EAA applies to any economic operator offering covered products or services to customers in the EU, regardless of where the company is based.
- When did the European Accessibility Act take effect?
- It became enforceable on 28 June 2025, with later deadlines of 28 June 2027 for 112 emergency services and 28 June 2030 for certain products already in use.
- What standard satisfies the EAA for websites?
- Conformance with EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA, provides a presumption of conformity. Targeting WCAG 2.2 AA covers it comfortably.
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