Who must comply with the European Accessibility Act?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), Directive (EU) 2019/882, applies to a range of products and services from 28 June 2025. For merchants, the key point is that it covers e-commerce services — the sale of goods or services to consumers through a website or mobile app.

If you run a consumer-facing online shop trading into the EU, the default assumption is that you are in scope. The obligation is to make the shopping experience accessible to persons with disabilities, judged against the standard EN 301 549, which references WCAG 2.1 level AA.

The microenterprise exemption

The main carve-out is for microenterprises that provide services. A microenterprise has fewer than 10 staff and an annual turnover or balance-sheet total of €2 million or less. Because e-commerce is a service, a shop that meets this definition is exempt from the service obligations.

Two things to remember. First, both the staff test and the financial test are part of the definition, so check your numbers carefully and keep records. Second, the exemption applies while you are micro — if your business grows past the threshold, the obligation applies, so building accessibly now saves rework later.

Who is generally not the target

The EAA is aimed at business-to-consumer selling. A shop that trades purely with other businesses is a different case from a public consumer store. If you are unsure which side of the line you fall on, treat accessibility as the safer default — it reduces legal risk and widens your customer base either way.

For the full picture, see the European Accessibility Act hub and our complete accessibility guide.