When is the EU EAA deadline?

The EU EAA enforcement deadline was June 28, 2025. Member states are now implementing enforcement actions through 2026. Websites serving EU customers must meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. Non-compliance can result in fines, legal action, and exclusion from public procurement.

Who needs to comply with the EU EAA?

The EU EAA applies to businesses providing digital products and services to EU customers, including websites, mobile apps, e-books, banking services, e-commerce, and transport services. It covers both EU-based companies and non-EU companies serving EU customers. Microenterprises providing services (under 10 employees) are exempt from some obligations.

What are the penalties for EU EAA non-compliance?

EU EAA penalties vary by member state but can include fines, legal action, and exclusion from public procurement contracts. Some countries impose fines up to EUR 100,000 per violation. National enforcement bodies can order websites to become compliant within a specified timeframe.

What are the penalties for EU EAA non-compliance by country?

EU EAA penalties vary by member state. Ireland caps fines at €60,000, Sweden at €900,000, France at €150,000 civil (€750,000 for aggravated cases), Germany at €100,000, and the Netherlands at €90,000. Enforcement began June 28, 2025, with France seeing the first lawsuits in November 2025.

How do I comply with the EU EAA?

To comply with the EU EAA, your website must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Run an automated accessibility scan with ComplyKeep to identify violations, fix issues like color contrast, alt text, heading order, and form labels, then conduct manual testing for criteria that automated tools cannot detect. Re-scan regularly to maintain compliance.

EU Accessibility Act (EAA) Compliance Guide

Q: What is the EU Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA, Directive 2019/882) is EU legislation requiring products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. For websites, it requires compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Enforcement began June 28, 2025, with penalties for non-compliance ramping through 2026.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA, Directive 2019/882) requires websites and digital services serving EU customers to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. Enforcement began June 28, 2025. This guide explains what the EAA requires, who must comply, penalties, and how to achieve compliance using automated scanning.

What is the EU Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act is EU legislation (Directive 2019/882) that requires products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. It covers websites, mobile applications, e-books, banking services, e-commerce, transport, and telecommunications. The technical standard referenced by the EAA for web accessibility is WCAG 2.1 AA.

Key fact: The EAA deadline was June 28, 2025. Enforcement actions are now ramping through 2026 as member states implement monitoring and penalty frameworks.

Who Must Comply with the EU EAA?

The EU EAA applies to:

Websites and mobile apps serving EU customers
E-commerce platforms selling to EU consumers
Banking and financial services with digital interfaces
Transport services with digital booking systems
Telecommunications services
E-books and digital publications
Non-EU companies providing digital services to EU customers

Important: The EAA applies to any business serving EU customers, regardless of where the business is based. A US or Irish company with EU customers must comply.

What Does the EAA Require for Websites?

The EAA requires websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, which include 30 success criteria across four principles:

Perceivable

Text alternatives for all non-text content (alt text on images)
Color contrast minimum 4.5:1 for normal text
Text resizable to 200% without loss of content
Information not conveyed by color alone

Operable

All functionality available via keyboard
Descriptive page titles
Clear link purposes
Visible focus indicators
Multiple ways to navigate (menu, search, sitemap)

Understandable

Page language declared in HTML
Consistent navigation across pages
Form errors identified and described in text
Form inputs have labels and instructions

Robust

Valid HTML markup
Proper ARIA roles, names, and values for custom components
Status messages announced to assistive technology

EU EAA Compliance Checklist

Run an automated accessibility scan to identify violations
Fix color contrast issues (minimum 4.5:1 ratio)
Add alt text to all informative images
Fix heading structure (h1 → h2 → h3, no skips)
Add labels to all form inputs
Ensure all interactive elements work with keyboard only
Add main, nav, header, footer landmarks to all pages
Set the HTML lang attribute on every page
Make link text descriptive (remove "click here")
Add visible focus indicators for keyboard users
Test with a screen reader (NVDA or VoiceOver)
Re-scan after fixes to verify compliance
Set up regular rescans (quarterly or monthly)

What Are the Penalties for EAA Non-Compliance?

Penalties vary by EU member state but can include:

Fines: Up to EUR 100,000 per violation in some member states
Legal action: National enforcement bodies can take legal proceedings
Public procurement exclusion: Non-compliant businesses excluded from government contracts
Compliance orders: Mandated to fix accessibility issues within a timeframe
Publication of non-compliance: Some countries publish names of non-compliant businesses

Key enforcement updates:

France saw the first EAA lawsuits in November 2025
2026 is the first full year national authorities are actively supervising against the deadline
Existing products and services have until June 28, 2030 to comply

Penalties by EU Member State

Country	Max Fine	Enforcement Body
🇮🇪 Ireland	€60,000	National Disability Authority
🇸🇪 Sweden	€900,000	Agency for Participation
🇫🇷 France	€150,000 (civil) / €750,000 (aggravated)	Derections Régionales
🇩🇪 Germany	€100,000	BAGUS
🇮🇹 Italy	€60,000	AGID
🇪🇸 Spain	€30,000–€150,000	Different autonomous communities
🇳🇱 Netherlands	€90,000	Authority for Digital Accessibility
🇧🇪 Belgium	€80,000–€200,000	Regional authorities

Penalty figures are based on national implementing legislation as of July 2026. Verify with the relevant national enforcement body for the most current figures.

How to Achieve EAA Compliance

Step 1: Scan Your Website

Run an automated accessibility scan with ComplyKeep to identify WCAG 2.1 AA violations. The free plan scans up to 20 pages and provides a summary. The Full Report at EUR 29 provides detailed fix instructions for every issue found.

Step 2: Fix Critical Issues First

Address critical and serious violations first — these carry the highest legal risk. Common critical issues include missing form labels, no keyboard navigation, and missing main landmarks.

Step 3: Fix Moderate Issues

Moderate issues like color contrast and heading order affect the majority of websites. ComplyKeep's report provides specific WCAG criterion references and fix instructions for each issue.

Step 4: Conduct Manual Testing

Automated scanning catches 30-40% of WCAG issues. Manual testing with a screen reader (NVDA for Windows, VoiceOver for Mac) and keyboard-only navigation is needed for full compliance. Test all interactive elements and content reading order.

Step 5: Document Compliance

Keep records of your accessibility scans, fixes applied, and manual testing results. This documentation demonstrates good-faith compliance efforts if questioned by enforcement bodies.

Step 6: Set Up Ongoing Monitoring

Websites change constantly. New content, design updates, and code changes can introduce new accessibility barriers. ComplyKeep's Monitor Pro plan provides weekly automated rescans to catch issues before they become legal liabilities.

Check Your EAA Compliance Now

Scan your website against WCAG 2.1 AA standards in under 2 minutes — free, no signup required.

Run Free Accessibility Scan →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the EAA apply to small businesses?

Microenterprises (under 10 employees and under EUR 2 million annual turnover) are exempt from some EAA obligations for services. However, the exemption does not apply to products. Small businesses should still aim for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance to avoid legal risk and serve all customers.

Does the EAA apply to non-EU companies?

Yes. The EAA applies to any business providing digital products or services to EU customers, regardless of where the business is based. A US, UK, or Irish company with EU customers must comply with the EAA for its website and digital services.

What is the difference between ADA and EAA?

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is US legislation that has been interpreted to require website accessibility under Title III. The EAA is EU legislation specifically covering digital products and services. Both reference WCAG 2.1 AA as the technical standard. The EAA has a clearer enforcement framework and specific penalties, while ADA enforcement is through private lawsuits.

How long does EAA compliance take?

For a small website (under 20 pages), compliance can be achieved in 1-2 weeks after identifying issues. For larger sites, it may take 1-3 months. The timeline depends on the number of violations and development resources available. Running a ComplyKeep scan first gives you a clear picture of the work required.