Why it shows up in your week
The EAA turns accessibility from a nice-to-have into a market-access rule for many consumer digital offers in the EU. The enforcement date is 28 June 2025.
In plain language
If you sell covered B2C digital products or services above micro-enterprise thresholds, your website, app, or ecommerce path must meet accessibility requirements. Germany implements the duty through the BFSG.
Do not confuse EAA with BITV alone. BITV is the German public-sector regulation. Private-sector EAA duties usually map to WCAG Level AA in audits.
Where it bites
EAA bites when a procurement questionnaire or consumer complaint asks for proof after June 2025 and the site still fails keyboard, contrast, or form labels. Retrofitting after launch costs more than building correctly.
What to check
- Does your offer fall under EAA scope (B2C digital, above thresholds)?
- Have key templates been tested against WCAG AA with keyboard and screen-reader paths?
- Is there a named owner for remediation and an accessibility statement path?
Common questions
What is the European Accessibility Act?
The EAA (directive 2019/882) requires many consumer-facing digital products and services in the EU to meet accessibility standards, with application from 28 June 2025.
Does the EAA apply to B2B websites?
Scope focuses on consumer-facing products and services. Pure B2B sites may sit outside, but consumer ecommerce, banking, and similar offers are in scope. Legal counsel should confirm edge cases.
What should you check first for EAA readiness?
Confirm whether you are in scope, audit key user journeys against WCAG AA, and assign ownership for fixes before enforcement pressure arrives.