Does the EAA Apply to Bulgarian Webshops?

In most cases, yes. The European Accessibility Act, Directive (EU) 2019/882, has applied across the European Union since 28 June 2025, and consumer-facing e-commerce is one of the services within its scope. Because it is a Directive, it reaches shops selling into Bulgaria through Bulgaria’s own national transposition, and it is enforced by Bulgarian authorities.

The main exception

The most important exception is the microenterprise exemption. Microenterprises that provide services are outside the Act’s service obligations. A microenterprise here means a business with fewer than ten staff and either an annual turnover or a balance-sheet total of no more than two million euros. A very small shop may therefore sit outside the requirements, though it is worth confirming the figures before relying on that.

What the Act requires if it applies

If the Act does apply, the technical benchmark is the harmonised standard EN 301 549, which draws on WCAG 2.1 at level AA. In everyday terms that means a shop should work for people with a range of disabilities.

• Ordinary text should meet a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
• The checkout should work with a keyboard alone.
• Checkout form fields should be clearly labelled, and meaningful images should have alternative text.

The Bulgarian angle

Because the Act is transposed into national law, it is Bulgarian authorities that supervise it locally, and consumer-facing information is expected in Bulgarian. Enforcement practice can develop over time, so treat the local detail as something to revisit. Our complete accessibility guide covers the requirements in more depth.

This answer is educational, not legal advice.