The European Accessibility Act (EAA, Directive 2019/882) became enforceable on June 28, 2025. It harmonizes accessibility requirements across the EU for a broad range of products and services, including websites and mobile applications used to provide services to consumers in the EU. Unlike the ADA, the EAA explicitly covers digital services and specifies the technical standard: EN 301 549, which in turn references WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content.
Who it applies to
The EAA applies to private sector economic operators that provide covered services within the EU, regardless of where the company is headquartered. If your service is accessible to EU consumers — even if your company is based in the US — and you have more than 10 employees or €2 million in annual turnover, the EAA applies to you. Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million) are exempt.
Covered services
The EAA covers a defined list of services, including:
- E-commerce websites and apps
- Banking and financial services
- E-books and reading software
- Audiovisual media services and related websites
- Transport services (air, bus, rail, waterborne) and their websites and apps
- Consumer electronic equipment with an interactive computing capability
Enforcement and penalties
Each EU member state is responsible for designating market surveillance authorities and setting penalty frameworks. Penalties vary by country but can include fines, withdrawal of non-conforming products or services from the market, and cease-and-desist orders. The EAA also creates a complaint mechanism for individuals and organizations to report non-compliance.
Warning
Unlike some prior EU directives, the EAA applies to private companies, not just public sector bodies. If you sell to EU consumers, the June 2025 deadline was real and enforceable.
Technical standard: EN 301 549
The EAA delegates technical requirements to the harmonized standard EN 301 549. For web content, EN 301 549 V3.2.1 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA by reference, clause by clause. Compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA is considered evidence of conformity with the relevant web content clauses of EN 301 549. Organizations already targeting WCAG 2.1 AA are well-positioned for EAA compliance on the web content front.