The European Accessibility Act (EAA), formally Directive 2019/882/EU, required EU member states to transpose its requirements into national law and apply them from 28 June 2025. It mandates that a defined set of products and services sold in the EU meet accessibility standards — making it the most significant new accessibility obligation for private sector businesses operating across the EU in decades.
Who the EAA applies to
The EAA applies to "economic operators" (manufacturers, importers, distributors, service providers) placing covered products or services on the EU market. The services in scope that are most relevant to online businesses include:
- E-commerce services — any website or app used to buy and sell goods or services online
- Electronic communications services — including voice telephony, video calls, and messaging services
- Consumer banking services — online banking, payment apps
- Audiovisual media services and their user interface elements
- E-books and dedicated reading software
- Passenger transport service websites and apps
Critically, there is a small business exemption: microenterprises — businesses with fewer than 10 employees AND an annual turnover or balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 2 million — are exempt from the EAA's accessibility requirements for services. Note that this is a "and" condition: you must meet both criteria to qualify for the exemption. The product requirements (hardware, operating systems) have no small business exemption.
What the EAA requires for digital services
The EAA does not prescribe specific technical standards in its text, but it points to harmonised European standards — primarily EN 301 549 — which is itself built on WCAG 2.1 AA for web content. Compliance with EN 301 549 (or equivalently WCAG 2.1 AA for web and mobile content) is the practical benchmark for EAA compliance for digital services.
For e-commerce specifically, accessibility requirements extend beyond the website itself to include:
- The shopping experience — product pages, search, filters, cart, and checkout
- The payment process — payment forms and confirmation pages
- Digital receipts and order confirmations if delivered electronically
- Customer support channels that are accessible (not just phone-based)
Member states must designate national market surveillance authorities to enforce the EAA. Enforcement will vary by member state during the initial period, but the regulatory trend is clear: accessibility is moving from aspiration to legal obligation across the single market.
What to do now
If your business operates e-commerce or another in-scope service in the EU and you are above the micro-enterprise threshold, the priority actions are: audit your website against WCAG 2.1 AA using both automated and manual testing; address high-severity barriers (keyboard accessibility, missing alt text, form labelling, colour contrast); publish an accessibility statement meeting EN 301 549 requirements; implement a feedback mechanism for users to report accessibility issues; and establish an internal process for maintaining accessibility conformance as the site evolves. Addressing these now, before enforcement actions begin, is substantially lower cost than reactive remediation after a complaint.