Regulation

European Accessibility Act 2025: the digital accessibility law explained

What the EAA is, what it requires, who is concerned and since when. The essentials, without legal jargon.

The European Accessibility Act, or EAA, is European Directive (EU) 2019/882. Its goal is simple: to ensure that many digital products and services are usable by people with disabilities, everywhere in the Union.

What the EAA requires in practice

For a website or app, the EAA points to the European standard EN 301 549, which mirrors the WCAG level AA criteria. In practice this means perceivable content, a keyboard-operable interface, understandable information and robust code that cooperates with assistive technologies.

Since when?

The EAA has applied since 28 June 2025 across all 27 member states. Obligations concern products placed on the market and services provided from that date.

Who is concerned?

E-commerce, consumer banking services, telecommunications, passenger transport, e-books and many services aimed at the general public. Businesses located outside the Union are concerned as soon as they sell to European consumers.

Some service microenterprises benefit from partial exemptions. But market pressure and reputational risk make compliance relevant for almost everyone.

Where to start

The simplest first step is a baseline: an accessibility scan reveals your site's priority issues and shows whether an accessibility statement is missing. From there, you fix at the source and document your process.