European Accessibility Act (EAA)
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a landmark legislative measure adopted by the European Union which aims to provide more accessible products and services in the EU market. It is rooted in the EU's commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the promotion of “full and effective equal participation by improving access to mainstream products and services that, through their initial design or subsequent adaptation, address the particular needs of persons with disabilities.”
From 28 June 2025, all EU countries will implement the EAA. This includes the application of common rules on accessibility to products and services that have been identified as being the most important for persons with disabilities while being most likely to have diverging accessibility requirements at national level across the EU. By establishing common accessibility requirements, the new framework also seeks to remove barriers within the EU’s internal market to facilitate the free movement of accessible goods and services.
The EAA applies to certain consumer products and services across a range of sectors including banking, computers and tablets, telecommunications, e-commerce, e-publishing, and air, bus, rail and water passenger transport services. It also introduces rules for answering emergency calls to the European emergency number ‘112’ and public procurement processes.
Each Member State has designated one or more market surveillance authorities and competent authorities for enforcement of the EAA’s rules and requirements, which can take enforcement action including the imposition of “effective, proportionate and dissuasive” penalties for compliance failures.
To find out more about the EAA, contact any of our experts below or click here for our cheat sheet for an at-a-glance overview of the EAA.
Our team can help you with:
Accessibility audit: Conducting a scoping exercise to Identify which products or services are in-scope of the EAA and under which categories. and understand the relevant requirements, including relevant national laws, and conducting a gap analysis.
Understanding your statutory obligations: Identification of your role in the consumer-supply chain (e.g. as manufacturer, importer or distributor or service provider), and whether you are directly or indirectly dealing with consumers (e.g. through white-labelling or resale of your products or services) and the obligations relevant to your business whether it’s a microenterprise, SME or larger enterprise.
Policies, procedures and contracts: Implementing new or review existing internal policies and procedures, including staff training, as well as customer contracts and terms with consumers to incorporate the EAA’s accessibility requirements and obligations.
Documentation, record keeping and reporting: Documenting conformity assessments, maintaining up-to-date and complete records of compliance efforts including implementation of accessibility requirements, records of staff training and reliance on any derogations, which may be requested by regulators.
Maintenance and enforcement: Preparing for complaints, consumer claims, regulatory supervision and enforcement, and legal actions.
The European Accessibility Act
