Enforcement Is Live
The European Accessibility Act (EU Directive 2019/882) came into force on June 28, 2025. The transposition deadline passed — member states have enacted national laws, enforcement authorities are active, and businesses are already receiving formal notices.
France and Germany, the two largest EU enforcement markets, have both issued notices to non-compliant businesses within weeks of the enforcement date. The EAA is not an aspirational target. It is law.
Who Is Covered
The EAA applies to products and services placed on the EU market. For most businesses reading this, that means:
- Websites and web applications — any site accessible to EU customers
- Mobile apps — iOS and Android apps available in EU app stores
- E-commerce — checkout flows, product pages, account management
- Digital documents — PDFs, forms, and downloadable content available to customers
- Self-service terminals — ATMs, ticketing machines, check-in kiosks
Geographic scope: The EAA applies based on where your customers are, not where your company is registered. A Canadian SaaS serving French customers must comply. A US e-commerce store selling into Germany must comply.
Size exemptions: Microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees AND under €2 million annual revenue) are exempt from most product requirements — but not all service requirements. If you have a website serving EU customers and you're above either threshold, you are covered.
What EN 301 549 Requires
The EAA references EN 301 549 as the technical standard. For websites and web apps, EN 301 549 maps directly to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA is meeting the EAA's web accessibility requirement.
Beyond the technical standard, the EAA also requires:
Accessibility Statement
A publicly available accessibility statement that declares:
- Which standards you conform to
- Any content or features that don't yet meet the standard, with reasons
- Your remediation timeline
- A contact for users to report barriers
The statement must be accurate. Publishing a statement that claims compliance when you're not compliant is itself a violation.
User Feedback Mechanism
Users must be able to report accessibility barriers. You must acknowledge receipt and respond within 30 days. Failure to respond is a separate enforceable violation.
Monitoring and Updates
Compliance is ongoing — not a one-time audit. Every product release, CMS update, content publish, or third-party widget addition can introduce new violations. Continuous monitoring is part of the obligation.
Fines by Member State
| Country | Maximum fine |
|---------|-------------|
| Germany | €100,000 per violation |
| France | €5,000–€250,000 (repeat violations) |
| Netherlands | €90,000 per violation |
| Sweden | SEK 10 million (~€900,000) |
| Italy | €40,000 per violation |
Enforcement typically begins with a remediation order — a fixed window to become compliant. Fines escalate if orders are ignored.
The Practical Path to Compliance
The fastest route to EAA compliance:
- Scan your website against WCAG 2.1 AA — identifies every technical violation sorted by severity
- Work through the EAA checklist — covers the 16 requirements across digital services, documents, and compliance documentation
- Publish your accessibility statement — required in every member state where you operate
- Set up a feedback mechanism — a contact form or email monitored for barrier reports
- Export your compliance report — your evidence file if an authority investigates
AODACheck handles all five steps with tools built specifically for the EAA framework.