What is the EAA?
The European Accessibility Act is Directive (EU) 2019/882 of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services. As a directive, it is not applied directly: each Member State had to write it into national law. In Germany that law is the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG).
Key dates
- 28 June 2025 – the requirements apply to covered products placed on the market and to covered services provided to consumers after this date.
- Until 28 June 2030 – a transitional period: service providers may keep using products they already lawfully used to provide similar services, and service contracts agreed before 28 June 2025 may continue unchanged until they expire, but for no longer than five years from that date.
- Self-service terminals already in use may stay in use until the end of their economic life, for at most 20 years under the directive (Member States can set a shorter limit; Germany uses 15 years).
What does it cover?
Products such as consumer computers and operating systems, payment terminals, ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines, smartphones, TV equipment for audiovisual media services and e-readers. Services such as electronic communications, access to audiovisual media services, elements of air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport, consumer banking, e-books and e-commerce. See who is affected for details.
For most websites, the relevant part is e-commerce and other services offered online to consumers: the site or app through which a consumer can conclude a contract needs to meet the accessibility requirements.
Exemptions and limits
- Microenterprises providing services are exempt from the service requirements. Read the microenterprise exemption explainer.
- Economic operators may rely on a disproportionate burden or fundamental alteration exception, but they have to assess and document it (microenterprises dealing with products do not have to document the assessment).
EAA vs. Web Accessibility Directive
Do not confuse the EAA with the Web Accessibility Directive (EU) 2016/2102. The Web Accessibility Directive covers the websites and mobile apps of public sector bodies. The EAA covers products and services that private economic operators offer to consumers. Both point to the same technical standard, EN 301 549 and WCAG.
What should a business do?
- Check whether your products or services are in scope and whether an exemption applies.
- Test your site against WCAG – automated checks first (try our free scan), then manual review, because automated testing finds only about 57% of issues (Deque).
- Fix issues in your code. An overlay widget does not make a site accessible.
- Publish information about how your service meets the requirements and keep a dated record of your work.