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Get ReportEAA Compliance Requirements: A Complete Checklist
June 28, 2025 was the compliance deadline for the European Accessibility Act. With the deadline now passed, organizations in (and out) of the EU must bring their digital content into compliance. Failure to do so can result in expensive fines and penalties. Below, we’ll review the compliance deadline and the requirements organizations must meet to be considered compliant.
Author: Missy Jensen, Senior SEO Copywriter
Published: 05/06/2026
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Enforcement of the European Accessibility Act(opens in a new tab) (EAA) began on June 28, 2025. This means any organization selling digital products or services to EU customers must comply with the accessibility requirements set out in the act.
Below, we’ll discuss exactly what those requirements are, how to meet them, and how doing so unlocks huge opportunities for your business.
Who Needs to Comply with the EAA?
Unlike other accessibility laws, which only apply to public-sector organizations, the EAA also applies to private-sector companies, including e-commerce, banking services, media, transportation, business-to-business, business-to-government, and restaurants.
There are exemptions to EAA compliance: micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees and an annual turnover below €2 million. These organizations do not need to comply with the EAA.
The EAA and EN 301 549
Another key EU accessibility standard to be aware of is EN 301 549(opens in a new tab). EN 301 549 is the harmonized European ICT accessibility standard that formally links EAA legal obligations (grounded in POUR principles, not the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(opens in a new tab) (WCAG)) to concrete technical criteria. More simply, EN 301 549 is the technical rulebook that explains what “accessible” actually means under EU law.
Under Article 15(1), meeting the EN 301 549 requirements means you're considered EAA-compliant. Because EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA as its technical benchmark for accessible content, that's the standard organizations should aim for.
An important note: it’s EN 301 549 that enforces WCAG, not the EAA.
How to Meet EAA Compliance Requirements
With the EAA deadline now past, it’s time to take more proactive steps toward compliance. As mentioned above, the EAA does not enforce WCAG guidelines; instead, it enforces POUR principles, which require content to be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. However, following WCAG standards does put your organization in a good position for EAA compliance.
Below is a checklist of all 78 WCAG success criteria. We recommend starting with Level A and Level AA features, as these address most accessibility barriers.
WCAG Checklist Level A
WCAG Checklist Level AA
WCAG Checklist Level AAA
The Benefits of EAA Compliance
The EAA is not just another regulation. It’s a huge step in creating a more accessible digital and physical marketplace. It’s also one that unlocks numerous benefits:
Minimizes financial and legal risk: Meeting EAA requirements reduces your exposure to fines, penalties, and market restrictions, and lowers the likelihood of costly legal action down the line.
Higher SEO rankings: Accessible websites rank higher in search results — and the overlap between accessibility and SEO is only growing, putting your products in front of more people organically.
Expand your audience reach: More than 135 million people in the EU live with a disability(opens in a new tab). By making your digital content more accessible, you can tap into this underserved market and unlock new revenue opportunities.
Maintain a strong business reputation: By meeting EAA requirements, you showcase your commitment to providing an accessible, inclusive experience for all users, which builds trust with consumers, partners, and investors.
The bottom line: meeting EAA compliance requirements goes far beyond just fulfilling legal obligations. EAA compliance delivers tangible benefits that drive significant business growth and long-term success.
Is It Too Late for EAA Compliance?
EAA enforcement has been in effect since June 28, 2025. Organizations that provide products or services within the EU (even if they’re not headquartered there) must meet EAA accessibility requirements. The EAA is now a national law across all EU member states, with individual governments responsible for ensuring compliance. Organizations that have not yet achieved compliance face active enforcement risk and should prioritize fixes.
As mentioned above, failing to meet EAA requirements can result in serious consequences, both financially and from a business perspective. Financially, non-compliance can result in fines and penalties of up to €100,000. You may also face market restrictions for failing to meet accessibility best practices. From a business perspective, non-compliance can damage your brand reputation, especially given the increased public awareness of accessibility issues. Failing to meet accessibility requirements can put your company in a negative light, eroding customer trust and decreasing brand loyalty.
Close the Gap on EAA Compliance with AudioEye
EAA enforcement is active, and the window to get compliant is closing. AudioEye gives you the fastest, most defensible path forward: automated detection that identifies more WCAG issues than competing tools in independent testing, Expert Audits from accessibility specialists and members of the disability community, and AudioEye Assurance, the only legal guarantee that has held up in court.
Whether you're just starting or closing the final gaps, start your path to accessibility with a free accessibility scan.
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