The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an important step that changes how websites and digital services need to be designed and built across EU. It will start applying in less than two months, but many people are still confused about what it means. That’s why I’ve collected the most common questions and answered them here, to help explain the basics. I’ve also added sources when available.
This guide will be updated regularly as new questions come up.
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is the European Union Directive 2019/882 that requires countries to make sure digital products and services are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
The EAA (Directive 2019/882) was adopted in 2019, but it will officially apply starting June 28th 2025. The official document can be found here.
The deadline to comply for the public sector was in 2020, while the deadline for the business sector is June 28th, 2025.
What are the services to which the EAA Directive applies?
Based on Article 2, Section 2, this Directive applies to the following services:
- electronic communications services;
- services providing access to audiovisual media services;
- the following elements of air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport services, except for urban, suburban and regional transport services for which only the elements under point (v) apply: websites, mobile device-based services including mobile applications, electronic tickets, delivery of transport service information, interactive self-service terminals,
- consumer banking services;
- e-books and dedicated software;
- e-commerce services.
Exceptions for website content in the European Accessibility Act
Based on Article 2, Section 4, this Directive does not apply to the following content of websites and mobile applications:
- pre-recorded time-based media published before 28 June 2025;
- office file formats published before 28 June 2025;
- online maps and mapping services;
- third-party content that is neither funded, developed by, or under control of, the economic operator concerned;
- content of websites and mobile applications qualifying as archives, meaning that they only contain content that is not updated or edited after 28 June 2025.
Do all businesses have to comply with the EAA?
According to Article 3(23), microenterprises are exempt. A ‘microenterprise’ is defined as a business with fewer than 10 employees and either an annual turnover or a balance sheet total not exceeding €2 million.
What is the EN 301 549?
The EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (2021-3) (pdf) is the European Standard of Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services.
For websites, conformatnce with WCAG 2.1. Level AA is required (Point 9), following the POUR principles: Perceivable, Operable, understandable and Robust.
While the EAA (Directive 2019/882) sets legal requirements, it doesn’t give any specific rules and criteria to prove complaints. So the EN 301 549 includes the standards to meet EAA.
There are Requirements in EN 301 549 non included in WCAG 2.1
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is the international technical standard developed by W3C that defines how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.
WCAG is built on 4 main principles:
- Perceivable – Information and user interface components must be presented to users in ways that they can perceive;
- Operable – the interface must be usable via different input methods;
- Understandable – content must be readable and predictable in its behaviour;
- Robust – content must work across different browsers, technologies, and assistive tools.
WCAG versions:
- WCAG 1.0. 1999;
- WCAG 2.0 2008;
- WCAG 2.1. 2018;
- WCAG 2.2 2023
- WCAG 3.0 – There is a working draft published on December 2024
Each new version includes new success criteria for an easier navigation and interaction.
W3org provides Understanding documents with explanations for WCAG success criteria.
WCAG levels:
There are three conformance levels in WCAG: A, AA, and AAA.
- Level A sets the minimum requirements for accessibility.
- Level AA represents a recommended standard that is typically required by most organizations and legal frameworks.
- Level AAA is the strictest level and is challenging to meet across all content, often reserved for the most accessible web experiences.
Most organizations adopt Level AA as their standard for conformance.
The EN 301 549 Standard (used in the EU for public procurement) aligns with Level AA conformance of WCAG 2.1. A new version, WCAG 2.2, has been published (in 2023) and includes additional success criteria.
(the article will be updated)
