As of June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the European directive making accessibility mandatory for a wide range of digital products and services, applies in all European Union member states. This marks a turning point for the European digital marketplace: companies that offer the products and services concerned will no longer be able to ignore accessibility, on pain of penalties and exclusion from whole swaths of the public.

But what does the EAA provide for, how does it apply in different European countries, and what do companies actually have to do to comply?

What is the European Accessibility Act

Approved in 2019, the EAA (EU Directive 2019/882) aims to ensure equal access to digital goods and services for people with disabilities throughout the EU. Areas covered include:

  • e-commerce websites and apps
  • online banking services
  • transportation platforms and electronic ticketing
  • e-book readers
  • Electronic devices such as smartphones, payment terminals, ATMs
  • audiovisual services and digital communications

Each member state had to transpose the directive by June 28, 2022, while mandatory application began on June 28, 2025, with a transition period until June 28, 2030 for certain service contracts already in place and with exemptions for microenterprises providing services. Which products and services fall within the scope must be verified case by case.

What standards to follow

The common technical reference is the WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which define international criteria for ensuring the accessibility of web content and mobile applications. WCAG is based on 4 fundamental principles: Perceptible, Usable, Understandable, Robust.

How accessibility is applied in major EU countries

🇮🇹 Italy

In Italy, the EAA was transposed by Legislative Decree 82/2022. Companies offering the products and services covered by the decree must meet its requirements as of June 28, 2025; oversight is entrusted to the Agency for Digital Italy (AgID), which has published operational guidelines. Public administrations and some large companies are already subject to the obligations of Law 4/2004 (the Stanca Law).

🇫🇷 France

France transposed the EAA through ordonnance n° 2023-859 and décret n° 2023-931, codified in the Code de la consommation (articles L.412-13 and D.412-49 et seq.): as of June 28, 2025, the products and services concerned must meet the accessibility requirements and provide the required information, with oversight entrusted in particular to the DGCCRF and, for certain sectors, to ARCOM, ARCEP and ACPR. A separate obligation, set out in article 47 of loi n° 2005-102, applies to public administrations and to companies with revenue above 250 million euros: they must publish an accessibility statement based on the RGAA framework, maintained by DINUM, with oversight entrusted to ARCOM.

🇩🇪 Germany

In Germany, the EAA was transposed by the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), under the responsibility of the Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales; market surveillance is entrusted to the Marktüberwachungsstelle der Länder (MLBF). The companies concerned must meet the requirements as of June 28, 2025, while the public sector is already subject to BITV 2.0.

🇪🇸 Spain

Spain transposed the EAA through Ley 11/2023; the public sector is governed by Real Decreto 1112/2018, with monitoring by the Observatorio de Accesibilidad Web. As of June 28, 2025, the products and services concerned must meet the accessibility requirements, with checks and penalties for noncompliance.

🇳🇱 Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the EAA was transposed by the Implementatiewet toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften producten en diensten, applicable as of June 28, 2025: the companies concerned must document how their products and services meet the requirements (WCAG 2.1 AA via the EN 301 549 standard). The public sector is subject to the Besluit digitale toegankelijkheid overheid and publishes a toegankelijkheidsverklaring.

🇧🇪 Belgium

Belgium transposed the directive on the accessibility of public-sector websites with the law of July 19, 2018 (loi du 19 juillet 2018) and has adapted its national legislation to the EAA for the products and services concerned. The SPF BOSA provides guidelines and self-assessment tools to help organizations with the transition.

What companies need to do now

With 2025 just around the corner, it is critical act now:

  1. Analyze the current state of your website according to WCAG standards
  2. Identifying barriers For users with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disabilities
  3. Making images, buttons, forms and text content accessible
  4. Ensure keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility
  5. Publish an accessibility statement updated, where applicable

Why rely on professionals like Accessibi

With Accessibi, companies can count on technical support with a clearly defined perimeter and limits:

  • Accessibility audits against WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA, with automated and manual checks on the agreed perimeter
  • Remediation of code and content, with the goal of level AA on the audited pages
  • Accessibility widget as a complementary tool (it does not replace fixing the code)
  • Periodic scans and new audits, as optional services for maintenance over time
  • Drafting of the accessibility statement based on the findings

We do not provide legal advice: which obligations apply to your organization depends on the country, the sector and the service, and technical conformance with WCAG alone does not amount to meeting every legal obligation.

For many products and services, digital accessibility has become a necessary condition for operating legally and responsibly in Europe. It is not just a matter of complying with a standard, but of opening doors to millions of users, enhancing the digital experience and strengthening brand reputation.

With Accessibi, companies can meet this challenge with confidence and competence. Get ready today and turn accessibility into a competitive advantage.