European Accessibility Act 2025 Requirements

The European Accessibility Act was adopted in 2019, giving EU member states until June 28, 2025 to transpose the directive into national law and begin enforcement. That deadline has passed — the EAA is now active law in all 27 EU member states.

What this means in practice:

• National laws are in force: Each member state has enacted legislation implementing the EAA. Germany has the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), France updated its existing accessibility framework, and similar laws exist across all EU countries
• Market surveillance active: National authorities are empowered to inspect, audit, and enforce accessibility requirements on digital services
• Complaints mechanisms live: Consumers can file accessibility complaints with national authorities, triggering investigations
• Penalties applicable: Fines and enforcement actions can be imposed on non-compliant businesses immediately

There is no grace period. Businesses that have not yet addressed accessibility should begin remediation immediately.

Understanding the full EAA timeline helps contextualize where we are now and what to expect:

• June 2019: Directive (EU) 2019/882 adopted by European Parliament and Council
• June 2022: Deadline for member states to transpose into national law (many completed on time, some delayed)
• June 28, 2025: Enforcement start date — all national laws must be applied. Products and services placed on the market or offered after this date must comply
• June 28, 2030: Transition period ends for services that were already in use before June 2025 under existing contracts. After this date, all services must comply regardless of when they launched

The 2030 transition applies only to existing service contracts. New customers, new service offerings, and significant website redesigns launched after June 2025 must comply from day one. If you are launching or significantly updating a website now, full EAA compliance is required immediately.

Each EU member state has transposed the EAA into national law with varying specifics on penalties and enforcement. Here are key markets:

• Germany (BFSG): The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz implements the EAA with fines up to EUR 100,000. The Federal Office for Accessibility Supervision (BMAS) handles enforcement. Germany is one of the strictest implementors
• France: Updated existing accessibility law (RGAA framework) to incorporate EAA requirements. The ARCOM and DINUM oversee digital accessibility enforcement. Fines can reach EUR 50,000 per violation
• Netherlands: The Tijdelijk besluit digitale toegankelijkheid extends to private sector under the EAA. The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) handles enforcement
• Spain: Real Decreto implementing the EAA with enforcement by regional consumer protection authorities. Fines range from EUR 10,000 to EUR 100,000
• Italy: Updated the Stanca Law to incorporate EAA requirements. AgID (Agency for Digital Italy) oversees compliance. Large enterprises face mandatory accessibility declarations

If your business operates across multiple EU markets, you must meet the requirements in each country where you offer services.

If you have not yet addressed EAA compliance, the time to start is now. Here is a practical roadmap:

• Audit your current state: Run a free CompliScan scan to identify existing WCAG 2.1 AA violations. This gives you a clear picture of the gaps between your current website and EAA requirements
• Assess your scope: Determine which of your digital services fall under the EAA. Focus first on customer-facing services in covered sectors (e-commerce, banking, transport, telecom)
• Prioritize by risk: Address critical violations first — missing alt text, keyboard traps, and insufficient contrast affect the most users and are most likely to trigger enforcement action
• Implement monitoring: With CompliScan Shield ($49/mo), set up weekly scans to catch accessibility regressions as you update your website. Shield Pro ($149/mo) provides daily scans and PDF reports for compliance records

For agencies managing EAA compliance across multiple client sites, the Agency plan ($299/mo) covers up to 50 sites with white-label reporting — demonstrate compliance progress to each client with dedicated reports.