On June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Directive (EU Directive 2019/882) came into full effect across the European Union. While it is EU legislation, its impact will extend far beyond European borders — affecting businesses globally that sell products or services into the EU market.
What Is the European Accessibility Directive?
Also known as the European Accessibility Act (EAA), this law sets minimum accessibility requirements for a wide range of products and services, aiming to ensure that people with disabilities and the elderly have equal digital access.
Why?
The main premise of the EAA is about providing information on the accessibility of products and services in an accessible manner. It involves requirements for accessible interfaces and functional design for all services and products. There are also requirements for support services offered in connection with services and products.
There are also sector-specific requirements for both products and services within electronic communication, e-commerce, banking and payment services, personal transport, access to audiovisual media services, as well as for e-books.
Who needs to act?
The requirements in the law and regulation are directed at manufacturers, importers, distributors, and service providers within the EU.
The directive applies to any business offering relevant products or services within the EU, regardless of where the company is headquartered. This is similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) affects companies handling EU citizens’ data, even if they operate outside Europe.
It covers areas such as:
When?
In April 2019, the EU adopted the Accessibility Directive, which came into full effect in all EU member states from June 28, 2025. Sweden decided on May 11, 2023, on the Act (2023:254) regarding the accessibility of certain products and services. In Denmark, the Accessibility Act (Act No. 801 of 7 June 2022), was adopted on May 17, 2022, as the national implementation of the Directive.
A key principle is that all services covered by the law must meet the accessibility requirements from June 28, 2025 onwards. This applies not only to 'new services' but also to services that existed before the law came into effect. However, there is a transitional provision that gives service providers a certain period of flexibility for existing contracts to expire. For example, ongoing service agreements may continue unchanged for up to five years, while self-service terminals such as ATMs already in use may be replaced within a transitional period of up to twenty years.
What Accessibility Means in Practice for e-commerce platforms
In short, your user experience — websites, apps, interfaces — must be accessible by everyone. All those who sell a service or product remotely through a website or app to consumers are affected by the EAA, in practice this means:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provides some guidance. It provides support to designers, content creators, and developers to create websites and digital services that are usable for a broader audience.
Four prioritized areas
There are four prioritized areas that should be addressed if they are not yet accessible.
Accessibility is mandatory if the store has its own solution for any of these functions.
If products from third parties are used, there must be seamless integration with the other online services.
What Global Businesses Should Do Now
What Happens If You Don't Comply?
Failing to comply could result in fines or enforcement actions from national EU regulators. For Sweden, the fine is set to a maximum of 10 000 000 SEK (about 900 000 Euro). In Denmark, the law does not specify a fixed maximum; instead, fines are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the authorities and courts, considering the severity and extent of the violation. In addition, non-compliance may result in reputational damage, especially among socially conscious consumers.
The 2025 deadline is not just a European milestone — it’s a wake-up call for global businesses to prioritize inclusive online design and accessibility.
Beyond compliance, it’s an opportunity to reach more customers, improve usability for all, and build a brand that stands for equal access.
Authors: My Mattsson, Rouse, Sweden and Troels Stokholm, aera, Denmark
