European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a European Union directive that imposes common accessibility requirements for certain digital products and services. Adopted in 2019, it has been applicable since June 28, 2025 in all Member States.
87 million people live with a disability in Europe, one in five adults. Until 2025, each country set its own accessibility rules for products and services. The directive (EU) 2019/882 changes that: a single framework for all 27 Member States.
#Who is affected?
The EAA is not limited to the web. It covers physical products (computers, smartphones, e-readers, payment terminals, self-service kiosks) and services: e-commerce, banking, transport, telephony and audiovisual media.
Company size matters. Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and less than €2 million in turnover) are exempt. All other companies that sell these products or services in the EU are subject to the directive, including those based outside Europe.
#What it changes in practice
For products, the directive requires CE marking attesting compliance with accessibility requirements. Packaging, documentation and customer service must also be accessible.
For digital services (websites, mobile applications), the reference technical standard is EN 301 549. This standard incorporates WCAG 2.1 level AA for web content. If you already comply with WCAG 2.1 AA, you're on the right track.
In France, transposition was carried out by the ordinance of September 6, 2023 and the decree of October 9, 2023. The DGCCRF monitors compliance of products and e-commerce.
#The common pitfall
Many companies think the EAA only concerns the public sector. That's wrong. Unlike directive 2016/2102 which targeted public bodies, the EAA is aimed at the private sector. An e-commerce site, a banking application, a streaming service: all fall within scope.
Another mistake: waiting for penalties before taking action. Each Member State defines its own sanctions, but they must be "effective, proportionate and dissuasive". In France, the DGCCRF has the power to issue injunctions and administrative fines.
#In summary
The EAA is the first European directive that imposes accessibility on the private sector at this scale. Compliance is based on the EN 301 549 standard, itself aligned with WCAG. For digital services, the work required is the same as for any web accessibility initiative: structure the HTML, ensure keyboard navigation, provide text alternatives and respect contrast ratios.