European Accessibility Act (EAA) Compliance Checker

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), formally Directive (EU) 2019/882, is an EU directive that establishes common accessibility requirements for key products and services across all 27 EU member states. Adopted on April 17, 2019, the EAA required member states to transpose it into national law, with enforcement active since June 28, 2025. Unlike the existing Web Accessibility Directive (which only covers public sector websites), the EAA extends accessibility requirements to the private sector. It uses EN 301 549 as its harmonized technical standard, which in turn maps to WCAG 2.1 AA for web content. The EAA represents the most significant expansion of digital accessibility obligations in EU history.

The EAA applies to a broad range of products and services placed on the EU market since June 2025:

• E-commerce services — all online shops selling to EU consumers, including product information, checkout, and customer support
• Banking and financial services — online banking, payment terminals, ATMs
• Telecommunications — phone services, messaging apps, emergency communications
• Transport services — ticketing websites and apps, self-service terminals, real-time travel information
• E-books and e-readers — digital reading platforms and dedicated hardware
• Computers and operating systems — consumer hardware and software

The EAA applies regardless of where the company is headquartered. If you sell products or services to consumers in the EU, you must comply. A limited exemption exists for microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million turnover) providing services, but not for products.

The EAA's technical standard is EN 301 549, which specifies accessibility requirements for ICT products and services. For web content, EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA in its entirety, meaning all 50 A and AA success criteria must be met. Beyond WCAG, EN 301 549 adds requirements for:

• Non-web documents — PDFs, office documents, and other digital files must be accessible
• Software applications — native apps must support assistive technology APIs, provide keyboard access, and include accessible documentation
• Hardware — physical products must have accessible controls, displays, and connections
• Support services — help desks and customer support must be accessible through multiple channels

For website compliance specifically, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA covers the core web content requirements. CompliScan tests against these criteria and flags issues that would constitute EAA non-compliance.

Each EU member state sets its own penalties and enforcement mechanisms under the EAA, which means consequences vary across the EU. Market surveillance authorities in each country will monitor compliance and can:

• Issue corrective measures requiring companies to bring products/services into compliance within a set timeframe
• Impose fines — amounts vary by country, but must be "effective, proportionate, and dissuasive" under the directive. Some member states have indicated fines reaching hundreds of thousands of euros
• Withdraw non-compliant products from the market or restrict their availability
• Require public notification of non-compliance, creating reputational damage

Consumers and disability organizations can also file complaints with national authorities and pursue legal action. Given that the EU market represents over 450 million consumers, the commercial incentive to comply is substantial — both to avoid penalties and to access the world's largest single market.