European Accessibility Act for products and services
What has changed?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU directive (EU 2019/882) that aims to improve accessibility to products and services. The EAA requires that products and services are accessible to persons with disabilities. It sets minimum standards for accessibility.
The European Accessibility Act is transposed into Dutch legislation.
Which products and services does the EAA apply to?
The accessibility directive applies to products and services including:
- (personal) computers and operating systems
- smartphones and tablets
- ATMs and other POS terminals, ticketing and check-in machines
- equipment related to digital television services
- telephony services and related equipment
- audio-visual media services such as television broadcast and related consumer equipment (access to content)
- services related to air, bus, rail, and waterborne passenger transport (including real time travel information)
- (online) banking services
- e-books and e-readers
- e-commerce services (such as web shops)
These products and services have to be completely accessible. The legislation does not distinguish between products made in the EU and products from outside the EU. All products sold in the European Union must comply with the European Accessibility Act. Accessibility requirements are listed in Annex I of the directive. You can find non-binding, possible solutions in Annex II.
For whom?
- You have a website or app on which entrepreneurs or others offer products or services to consumers (an e-commerce service), or
- You have a website or app that allows consumers to communicate (an electronic communication service), and
- You employ more than 10 people, your annual turnover exceeds €2 million, or both.
The accessibility requirements do not apply to business-to-business services.
When?
The changes resulting from the EEA Directive have entered into effect on 28 June 2025.