Note: this article describes the EU regulatory framework. The European Accessibility Act is EU legislation that does not apply in the United Kingdom and only concerns products and services offered in the European Union; in the UK the main references are the Equality Act 2010 and, for public sector bodies, the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR). UK organisations that offer products or services in the EU may still fall within the scope of the EAA for those offerings.

As of 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the European directive making accessibility mandatory for a wide range of digital products and services, applies in all EU Member States. This marks a turning point for the European digital market: companies that offer the products and services concerned will no longer be able to ignore accessibility, on pain of sanctions and exclusion from entire audiences.

But what does the EAA provide for, how does it apply in the different European countries, and what do companies have to do in practice to comply?

What is the European Accessibility Act

Approved in 2019, the EAA (EU Directive 2019/882) aims to ensure equal access to digital goods and services for people with disabilities across the EU. The sectors concerned include:

  • e-commerce websites and apps
  • online banking services
  • transport platforms and e-ticketing
  • e-book readers
  • electronic devices such as smartphones, payment terminals, ATMs
  • audiovisual services and digital communications

Each Member State had to transpose the directive by 28 June 2022, while compulsory application started on 28 June 2025, with a transition period until 28 June 2030 for certain service contracts already in place and with exemptions for microenterprises providing services. Which products and services fall within the scope must be verified case by case.

Which standards to follow

The common technical reference is the WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) which define international criteria for ensuring the accessibility of web content and mobile applications. The WCAG are based on four fundamental principles: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.

How accessibility is applied in the main EU countries — and in the UK

🇮🇹 Italy

In Italy, the EAA was transposed by Legislative Decree 82/2022. Companies offering the products and services covered by the decree must meet its requirements as of 28 June 2025; oversight is entrusted to the Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale (AgID), which has published operational guidelines. Public administrations and some large companies are already subject to the obligations of Law 4/2004 (the Stanca Law).

🇫🇷 France

France transposed the EAA through ordonnance n° 2023-859 and décret n° 2023-931, codified in the Code de la consommation (articles L.412-13 and D.412-49 et seq.): as of 28 June 2025, the products and services concerned must meet the accessibility requirements and provide the required information, with oversight entrusted in particular to the DGCCRF and, for certain sectors, to ARCOM, ARCEP and ACPR. A separate obligation, set out in article 47 of loi n° 2005-102, applies to public administrations and to companies with a turnover above 250 million euros: they must publish an accessibility statement based on the RGAA framework, maintained by DINUM, with oversight entrusted to ARCOM.

🇩🇪 Germany

In Germany, the EAA was transposed by the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), under the responsibility of the Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales; market surveillance is entrusted to the Marktüberwachungsstelle der Länder (MLBF). The companies concerned must meet the requirements as of 28 June 2025, while the public sector is already subject to BITV 2.0.

🇪🇸 Spain

Spain transposed the EAA through Ley 11/2023; the public sector is governed by Real Decreto 1112/2018, with monitoring by the Observatorio de Accesibilidad Web. As of 28 June 2025, the products and services concerned must meet the accessibility requirements, with checks and penalties for non-compliance.

🇳🇱 Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the EAA was transposed by the Implementatiewet toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften producten en diensten, applicable as of 28 June 2025: the companies concerned must document how their products and services meet the requirements (WCAG 2.1 AA via the EN 301 549 standard). The public sector is subject to the Besluit digitale toegankelijkheid overheid and publishes a toegankelijkheidsverklaring.

🇧🇪 Belgium

Belgium transposed the directive on the accessibility of public-sector websites with the law of 19 July 2018 (loi du 19 juillet 2018) and has adapted its national legislation to the EAA for the products and services concerned. The SPF BOSA provides guidelines and self-assessment tools to help organisations with the transition.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is not covered by the EAA. British organisations are subject to the Equality Act 2010, which requires reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and public sector bodies are additionally subject to PSBAR 2018, which requires websites and mobile applications to meet the accessibility requirement (EN 301 549, WCAG 2.1 AA) and to publish an accessibility statement. UK businesses that offer products or services in the European Union may still fall within the scope of the EAA for those offerings.

What companies must do now

Now that the deadline has passed, the priority for the organisations concerned is to act quickly:

  1. Analysing the current status of your website according to WCAG standards
  2. Identifying barriers for users with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disabilities
  3. Making images, buttons, forms and textual content accessible
  4. Ensuring keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility
  5. Publishing an up-to-date accessibility statement, where one is required

Why rely on professionals like Accessibi

With Accessibi companies can count on technical support with a clearly defined scope and clear limits:

  • Accessibility audits against WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA, with automated and manual checks within the agreed scope
  • Remediation of code and content, with the aim of level AA on the audited pages
  • Accessibility widget as a complementary tool (it does not replace fixing the code)
  • Periodic scans and new audits, as optional services for maintenance over time
  • Drafting of the accessibility statement based on the findings

We do not provide legal advice: which obligations apply to your organisation depends on the country, the sector and the service, and technical conformance with WCAG alone does not amount to meeting every legal obligation. This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice: check the obligations that apply to you with your own advisers.

For many products and services, digital accessibility has become a necessary condition for operating legally and responsibly in Europe. It is not just a matter of complying with a standard, but of opening doors to millions of users, improving the digital experience and strengthening brand reputation.

With Accessibi, companies can meet this challenge with confidence and competence. Get ready today and turn accessibility into a competitive advantage.