European Accessibility Act (EAA) explained

What is the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act, or EAA, is an EU directive adopted on 17 April 2019. It sets common accessibility rules for key products and services, so businesses don't face different rules in every EU country. A directive isn't applied directly: each EU country writes it into its own national law.

Which products and services does the EAA cover?

The EAA covers these products when they are sold in the EU:

• Computers and their operating systems
• Payment terminals and self-service machines, such as ATMs, ticket machines and check-in kiosks
• Smartphones and other devices used for phone and messaging services
• TV equipment used for digital TV services
• E-readers

It also covers these services when they are provided to consumers:

• Phone, messaging and other electronic communications services
• Services that give access to TV and other audiovisual media
• Parts of air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport, such as websites, apps, e-tickets and travel information
• Consumer banking services
• E-books and the software used to read them
• E-commerce: selling to consumers online through websites and apps

For most websites, e-commerce is the part that matters. If you sell to EU consumers through a website or app, the EAA may apply to it.

Who is exempt from the EAA?

• Microenterprises that provide services. A microenterprise has fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than €2 million. This exemption covers services only, not products.
• Disproportionate burden. Any business can claim that a requirement would fundamentally change its product or service, or would be a disproportionate burden. It must assess and document this, and review the assessment at least every five years.
• Older equipment. Service providers may keep using products they lawfully used before 28 June 2025 until 28 June 2030. Self-service terminals already in use may stay in service until the end of their useful life, for up to 20 years.

There is no general exemption for small and medium businesses above the microenterprise size.

What technical standard does the EAA use?

The directive sets out its requirements in plain terms. For websites and apps, it says they must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust: the same four principles as WCAG.

The detailed technical reference is the European standard EN 301 549. Its 2021 version (V3.2.1) is based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA. A new version (V4.1.1) was published in September 2026. It moves to WCAG 2.2 and is the first version written with the EAA in mind. Until the European Commission formally cites V4.1.1 in the Official Journal of the EU, the 2021 version remains the legal reference.

In practice, building your site to WCAG 2.2 Level AA prepares it for both versions.

How is the EAA enforced?

Each EU country enforces the EAA through its own law and its own authorities. Countries must:

• Check that services meet the requirements, and act on complaints
• Run market checks on products
• Set penalties that are effective, proportionate and dissuasive, based on how serious the problem is and how many people it affects

Service providers must also publish information that explains how their service meets the accessibility requirements, in an accessible format, for as long as the service runs. An accessibility page on your website is a natural place for it.

Does the EAA apply to businesses outside the EU?

The EAA is defined by what is sold to consumers in the EU, and it has no exception for companies based outside the EU. If your business is in the US, the UK or elsewhere and sells covered products or services, such as through an online shop, to people in EU countries, the rules may apply to those sales. The details depend on each country's law.

1. Test your site and checkout against WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
2. Fix barriers in your code, starting with keyboard access, forms, alt text and contrast. Our website accessibility checklist helps.
3. Publish information on how your service meets the requirements.
4. Give customers a way to report problems.

A visitor tool like Octo Assist can add extra display and reading options for shoppers, but it doesn't make a shop meet the EAA. The requirements apply to the site and service itself.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. The EAA is enforced through national laws that differ between EU countries, so talk to a qualified lawyer about your situation.