European Accessibility Act (EAA): Is Your Company Compliant?
The EAA came into force on 28 June 2025. Learn what changed for businesses, who is affected, and how to avoid fines of up to €20,000.
Author: Meiko Neuman
Founder and web strategist, Kodulehe Haldus
What is the European Accessibility Act?
The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) is an EU directive that came into force on 28 June 2025, requiring many services to meet WCAG 2.1 AA-level accessibility.
In Estonia, this has been transposed into the Consumer Protection Act and the Product Safety Act, with oversight provided by the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA).
Who does it affect?
Mandatory sectors:
- E-commerce – all online shops
- Banking – online banking, mobile apps
- Transport – ticket sales, timetables
- E-books and e-readers
- Telecommunications – mobile operator services
- Audiovisual media services – analogues of Netflix and Spotify
- Emergency number 112
Exemptions:
- Micro-enterprises (< 10 employees and < €2M turnover) are exempt regarding services, but not products.
- Content existing before 28.06.2025 is granted a transition period until 2030.
Important: B2B-only firms are not exempt – the requirement also applies to B2B services if they are directed at end-consumers.
What exactly must comply?
The EAA refers to the harmonised standard EN 301 549, which essentially equates to WCAG 2.1 AA level.
In practical terms, this means: - Full keyboard navigation - Screen reader compatibility - Colour contrast of at least 4.5:1 - Text scalable up to 200% without loss of functionality - Forms with labels and error messages - Multimedia with subtitles
What happens in case of non-compliance?
Fines in Estonia: up to €20,000 per violation (TTJA practice).
Across the EU: - Germany: up to €100,000 - Ireland: €60,000 + 3-year prison sentence - Spain: up to €1,000,000
Additionally: - Civil lawsuits (over 4,000 lawsuits in the US in 2024, a growing trend in Europe) - Public blacklist (Equinet) - Reputational damage
90-Day Action Plan
Days 1-30: Audit - Use [WAVE](https://wave.webaim.org/), [axe](https://www.deque.com/axe/), Lighthouse - Order a professional audit (read the [WCAG audit guide](/blogi/wcag-audit-kuidas-teha)) - Document identified issues
Days 31-60: Remediation - Critical fixes (contrast, keyboard, forms) - Alt-texts, heading hierarchy - Multimedia subtitles
Days 61-90: Accessibility Statement - Publish an [accessibility statement](https://www.ria.ee/kuberturvalisus/digitaalne-ligipaasetavus/ligipaasetavuse-deklaratsioon) on the site - Add a feedback mechanism - Train the team
How we can help
- EAA compliance audit – full WCAG 2.1 AA assessment
- Technical remediation – design and code fixes
- Drafting the accessibility statement
- Continuous monitoring through website maintenance
Further reading
Contact us – we will help you achieve EAA compliance.
Need help with your website?
Our team maintains, optimises and protects your website. Pricing is agreed based on scope.
Request a quoteAbout the author
Meiko Neuman — Founder and web strategist, Kodulehe Haldus. Meiko leads the Kodulehehaldus team and has spent over a decade helping companies maintain and optimise their websites for measurable business results. He writes about website management, SEO, AEO/GEO and the commercial side of the web.