Digital Lexicon Hub

An EU directive requiring certain products and services, including ecommerce and banking, to meet common accessibility requirements since June 2025.

Companies selling covered products or consumer services in the EU, including online stores, must meet accessibility requirements or face national enforcement, so accessibility becomes a market access and legal issue, not only a design choice.

An online retailer with 60 staff audits checkout, product pages and its mobile app against WCAG 2.1 level AA, fixes keyboard traps and missing form labels, and adds screen reader and keyboard tests to its release checklist.

The EAA is a directive, so penalties and enforcement bodies come from each member state's national law and vary. Microenterprises providing services are exempt, and transitional rules let some existing services and contracts continue until 28 June 2030.

Directive (EU) 2019/882 applies from 28 June 2025 to covered products placed on the market and services provided to consumers, including e-commerce, consumer banking, e-books, electronic communications and parts of passenger transport. Article 15 presumes conformity where harmonized standards are met. Microenterprises with fewer than 10 staff and turnover or balance sheet up to €2 million are exempt for services. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the usual technical reference for Web Accessibility.