European Accessibility Act (EAA) Compliance Checker

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), formally Directive (EU) 2019/882, harmonizes accessibility requirements across all 27 EU member states. It covers a broad range of digital products and services including e-commerce, banking, e-books, transport ticketing, and consumer electronics. The technical standard referenced is EN 301 549, which itself references WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content. Enforcement began on June 28, 2025, and each EU member state has implemented its own penalties for non-compliance. The law applies to any business selling to EU consumers, regardless of where the business is headquartered.

Any business selling products or services to EU consumers (including non-EU companies)
E-commerce websites, online marketplaces, and digital storefronts
Banking, financial services, and payment providers
E-book publishers and digital media distributors
Transport ticketing, booking systems, and travel websites
Consumer electronics manufacturers with digital interfaces

Jun 28, 2025

The EAA enforcement date — compliance is now mandatory, not aspirational.

€20,000+

Per-violation fines in some member states (Germany, France, Italy).

Market Ban

Non-compliant products can be removed from sale across the entire EU single market.

27 Countries

The EAA applies uniformly across all EU member states.

The European Accessibility Act: A Complete Guide

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), formally Directive (EU) 2019/882, is the most significant accessibility legislation from the EU, reshaping how businesses approach digital accessibility when serving EU consumers. Whether you operate from Berlin, Boston, or Bangkok, if your products or services reach EU customers, the EAA demands compliance.

History and Legislative Background

The EAA was adopted on April 17, 2019 after years of fragmented national accessibility laws that created an uneven regulatory landscape. Member states had until June 28, 2022 to transpose it into national law. The enforcement deadline — June 28, 2025 — is a hard legal deadline after which non-compliant businesses face enforcement action.

The technical backbone is EN 301 549, which directly incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content.

Scope: Which Products and Services Are Covered

The EAA covers:

E-commerce — Any website or app selling to EU consumers
Banking and financial services — Consumer banking, payment terminals, ATMs
E-books and e-readers — Digital publishing platforms
Transport services — Ticketing, booking systems, travel information
Consumer electronics — Computers, smartphones, tablets
Telecommunications — Electronic communications services

Extraterritorial Reach

The EAA applies to any business selling to EU consumers regardless of where it is headquartered. A US company selling to German customers, a Canadian SaaS with French subscribers, or an Australian retailer shipping to the Netherlands — all must comply. This mirrors the GDPR approach and makes EAA compliance a market access requirement for the world’s largest single market.

Member State Implementation

Each member state transposes the directive into national law with variations in enforcement:

Germany (BFSG) — Enforcement by the Bundesnetzagentur, among the most proactive implementations
France — Builds on existing RGAA framework with supplementary private-sector obligations
Italy — Extends the Stanca Act to private sector, AgID enforcement

Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA provides the “presumption of conformity” across all 27 jurisdictions.

Common Violations That Trigger Enforcement

Missing or inadequate alt text on images and interactive elements
Insufficient color contrast in navigation, buttons, and form labels
Keyboard inaccessibility — dropdowns, modals, carousels that require a mouse
Missing form labels and error messages
Auto-playing media without pause controls or captions
Inaccessible PDFs without accessible alternatives

Steps to Achieve EAA Compliance

1. Audit your site — Run an automated scan for WCAG 2.1 AA violations
2. Prioritize by impact — Fix barriers to core tasks (navigation, checkout) first
3. Remediate at the component level — Fix shared components to resolve issues across all pages
4. Test with assistive technologies — Screen readers, keyboard-only, browser zoom at 200%
5. Publish an accessibility statement — Required by the EAA
6. Establish ongoing monitoring — Regular scanning to catch regressions

How wcagrepair Helps

Our scanner identifies violations mapped to WCAG 2.1 AA — the exact standard satisfying EAA requirements. For $8.99, you get a detailed remediation guide with specific code fixes. Whether you’re preparing for enforcement or responding to a complaint, wcagrepair gives you the fastest path from violation to conformity.

Does the EAA apply to my business if I'm not in the EU?

Yes. The EAA applies to any business that provides products or services to consumers in the EU, regardless of where the business is headquartered. If EU residents can purchase from your website, you are subject to the directive. This extraterritorial reach mirrors the GDPR approach.

What’s the difference between EAA and WCAG?

The EAA is a legal directive — legislation that creates binding obligations. WCAG is a technical standard that defines how to make web content accessible. The EAA uses EN 301 549 (which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA) as its technical benchmark. WCAG tells you what to do; the EAA tells you that you must do it.

What are the penalties for EAA non-compliance?

Penalties vary by member state. They can include fines, orders to withdraw products from the market, mandatory corrective action deadlines, and public disclosure. Germany under the BFSG has established specific fine schedules. The directive requires penalties be “effective, proportionate, and dissuasive.”

Is EN 301 549 different from WCAG 2.1?

EN 301 549 is a broader European standard covering all ICT. For web content, it directly incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA satisfies the EN 301 549 web requirements. EN 301 549 adds requirements for non-web ICT like native apps and hardware.

Do I need to comply if I’m a small business?

The EAA exempts microenterprises (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million turnover) from service requirements only. Product requirements have no size exemption. Individual member states may implement stricter rules.

When did EAA enforcement start?

EAA enforcement began June 28, 2025. The directive was adopted in 2019 with a transposition deadline of June 28, 2022. Businesses had a three-year transition period.

Automated EAA audit mapped to WCAG 2.1 success criteria your regulation requires
Severity breakdown by critical, major, and minor issues to prioritize remediation
AI-generated remediation guide with copy-paste code fixes for every issue
Ongoing monitoring to stay compliant as your site changes
Downloadable compliance certificate showing your site's current audit status

European Accessibility Act (EAA) Compliance Checker

What is EAA?

Who Needs to Comply?

Penalties for Non-Compliance

EAA Compliance: The Complete Guide