The EAA is in force. Does your website comply?
The European Accessibility Act applies to products placed on the market and services provided to consumers in the EU after 28 June 2025. If you sell online to European consumers, the accessible-web requirements likely apply to you - and publishing an accessibility statement is now a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have.
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Who has to comply?
The Directive (EU) 2019/882 requires that products and services in its scope meet common accessibility requirements. For websites the relevant services include:
- E-commerce - online shops and services selling to consumers.
- Consumer banking - online and mobile banking services.
- Passenger transport - websites, apps, electronic ticketing and real-time travel information for air, bus, rail and water transport.
- Electronic communications and access to audiovisual media.
- E-books and their software.
Products such as smartphones, ATMs, ticketing machines, e-readers and TV equipment placed on the market after 28 June 2025 are also covered. If you operate an online business that serves consumers in the EU, assume you are in scope and check your obligations.
What the accessible-web requirement means in practice
Websites and mobile applications in scope must meet the accessibility requirements of the harmonised European standard EN 301 549, which for web content maps to the WCAG 2.x level AA success criteria. The requirement covers the structure, navigation, forms, colour contrast, text alternatives, captions and keyboard operation of your site - and you must be able to evidence that you meet it.
Publish an accessibility statement
The law requires you to publish an accessibility statement describing how the service meets the accessibility requirements. A compliant statement (see our accessibility statement guide) states the level of conformance reached, lists known accessibility issues and the timeline to fix them, records when the statement was last reviewed, and gives a way for users to report problems.
Deadlines and transition periods
- 28 June 2025 - the EAA applies to new products placed on the market and services provided to consumers after this date.
- Until 28 June 2030 - service providers may keep using products lawfully used before 28 June 2025, and pre-2025 service contracts may run until expiry (no later than 2030).
- Exempt content - pre-recorded time-based media and office file formats published before 28 June 2025, and archived content not updated after that date.
In Germany, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) transposes the EAA. Under §38 BFSG the same 28 June 2030 transition applies for services using products already in lawful use before 28 June 2025.
What happens if you do not comply
Member states enforce the EAA through national market-surveillance authorities. Consequences can include formal corrective action, injunctions and fines. Fines are set nationally - for example in Germany the BFSG (§37) allows fines of up to €100,000 for offering a non-conformant service or placing a non-conformant product on the market. Regulators can also require you to prove your statement is accurate.
This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. National laws and interpretation vary; verify obligations for your specific service with a qualified adviser.
See where your site stands - free
Run an automated EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.2 scan of your site. You get a 0-100 conformance score, the number of distinct violations and a breakdown by severity - the concrete starting point for fixing issues and building an honest accessibility statement.
The free scan is an automated pre-check, not a certification. The €19 report adds a documented PDF with a prioritised fix plan and an Annex V accessibility statement you can publish. See pricing.