Reviewed November 8, 2026

The European Accessibility Act: Why US Stores Selling to Europe Now Have a Deadline

On June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act took effect, and most US stores selling into Europe did not notice. The Act covers e-commerce services, it applies to any store selling to EU customers, and the seller's location does not matter.

The deadline was not set by the store, and it cannot be moved by the store. A US shop with European customers is now in scope for a law written in Brussels, enforced by each member state, and the standard it points to is one the store probably already knows: WCAG 2.1 Level AA, through the European standard EN 301 549.

What the Act covers, and who is in scope

The EAA covers products and services sold in the EU, and e-commerce is explicitly in scope. The services covered include online shopping, and the requirements cover the whole purchase journey: browsing, selecting, paying, and the information that goes with them. A store that sells to EU customers is covered, whether it has a European entity, a European warehouse, or only a website that ships to Berlin.

The microenterprise exception is narrow: businesses with fewer than 10 employees and under 2 million euros in annual turnover are exempt from some service requirements, but the exemption does not cover the whole Act, and a store that grows past it loses it. A store that is planning to grow should build for the standard, not for the exception.

The standard, and the deadline that already passed

The directive points to EN 301 549, the European accessibility standard, which aligns with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. A store that meets WCAG 2.1 AA is in a strong position, and a store that meets WCAG 2.2 AA, the newer version, is in a stronger one, because the newer version covers the same ground and more. The work is the same work the ADA requires: labels, contrast, keyboard access, and alt text.

The deadline has already passed. June 28, 2025 was the date the member states' laws took effect, and the enforcement is now live. A store that has not started is not early. It is late, and the lateness is visible to every EU customer who cannot complete a purchase.

What to do, in the order that matters

Check whether you have EU customers, and how many. The analytics will tell you, and the number decides the urgency. A store with a handful of EU orders a year can plan the work over a quarter. A store with a real EU customer base needs it now.

Then do the same remediation the ADA requires, because the two standards overlap almost entirely. The labels, the contrast, the keyboard path, and the alt text that satisfy WCAG 2.1 AA satisfy the EAA too, and the same test, a screen reader and a keyboard, proves both. One remediation, two laws, and the work is the same work the store should have done already.

Frequently asked questions

What is the European Accessibility Act?

A European Union directive that requires certain products and services, including e-commerce, to be accessible to people with disabilities. It took effect on June 28, 2025, and each member state enforces it through its own laws and penalties.

Does the EAA apply to US stores?

Yes, if they sell to customers in the EU. The directive covers e-commerce services offered in the EU, and the seller's location does not matter. A US store with EU customers is in scope, whether it has a European office or not.

What standard does the EAA require?

The directive points to the European accessibility standard EN 301 549, which aligns with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. A store that meets WCAG 2.1 AA is in a strong position under the EAA, and a store that meets WCAG 2.2 AA is in a stronger one.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

They vary by member state, because each country sets its own enforcement and fines. The pattern is the same everywhere: the national authority can order remediation, and the fines are set high enough to make remediation cheaper than the penalty.