# The European Accessibility Act: who it applies to, B2B included > Who the European Accessibility Act (EAA) applies to since 28 June 2025, whether it covers B2B, the microenterprise exemption, transition periods and a checklist. By Koen Van Looveren, impaktfull · Published 2025-06-28 · Updated 2026-11-07 Source: https://www.impaktfull.com/blog/the-european-accessibility-act-is-here-is-your-business-ready Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) applies. This means many digital products and services in the EU must be accessible to people with disabilities. But beyond compliance, this is an opportunity to build better, more inclusive experiences, for everyone. ## What is the European Accessibility Act? The EAA (Directive 2019/882) is EU legislation that aims to ensure equal access to digital and physical services for people with disabilities. It applies to a wide range of products and services, including: - Websites and mobile apps - E-commerce platforms - Banking services and ATMs - Ticket machines and check-in kiosks - Streaming services, e-books, and telecom This legislation goes beyond the public sector and will affect private businesses operating in or selling to the EU market. ## Who Needs to Comply? The EAA covers two things: **products** and **services**. - **Products** placed on the market after 28 June 2025: computers and their operating systems, smartphones and other devices for communication or media, e-readers, payment terminals, and self-service terminals like ATMs, ticket machines and check-in kiosks. - **Services provided to consumers** after 28 June 2025: e-commerce, consumer banking, electronic communication, access to audiovisual media, e-books, and the websites, apps and e-tickets of passenger transport. **Microenterprises** (fewer than 10 people and at most €2 million turnover or balance sheet) that provide services are exempt. The exemption is for services only: a microenterprise that makes one of the products above still has to comply. Even when you are exempt, accessible design is simply better design. ## Does the EAA Apply to B2B? For **services, mostly not**. The directive applies to services "provided to consumers", and it defines a consumer as a person acting outside their trade, business or profession. A tool that only businesses use, like an internal app, a B2B portal or a SaaS product for companies, is outside its scope. But be careful: - **Mixed audiences count.** A webshop that also sells to private people is e-commerce for consumers, even if most of its customers are companies. - **Products don't depend on the buyer.** A payment terminal or self-service kiosk falls under the EAA whether a business or a consumer buys it. - **Other rules may still apply.** Public sector websites and apps have their own accessibility law, and public tenders often ask for EN 301 549 too. When in doubt, check the [directive itself](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/882/oj) and your country's law that transposes it. ## Key Standards You Need to Meet To be compliant with the EAA, your digital products must meet the EN 301 549 standard. This includes the **WCAG 2.1 AA** guidelines (and soon WCAG 2.2), built around the principles of: - **Perceivable** – content must be available to all senses. - **Operable** – users must be able to navigate and interact. - **Understandable** – the interface must be easy to comprehend. - **Robust** – content must work reliably with assistive technologies. ## Not Everything Needs to Be Compliant (Yet) There is some time to transition: - Service providers may keep using products they already used lawfully before 28 June 2025 until **28 June 2030**. - Service contracts agreed before 28 June 2025 may continue unchanged until they expire, but no longer than **five years**. - Self-service terminals already in use may stay until the end of their economic life, but no longer than **20 years** after they were put into use. - When meeting a requirement would fundamentally change your product or service, or be a disproportionate burden, you may be exempt from it, but you have to assess and document that. ## Your EAA Compliance Checklist Here’s a practical guide to help your organization get started: ✅ **Audit your digital platforms** – Compare them against EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1/2.2. ✅ **Train your team** – Designers, developers, and content creators need to understand accessibility fundamentals. ✅ **Update your workflows** – Integrate accessibility checks in your QA, testing, and release processes. ✅ **Write an accessibility statement** – Be transparent about your efforts and create a plan for improvement. ✅ **Monitor and improve** – Set up ongoing testing (ideally with users who use assistive tech), and respond to feedback. ✅ **Ensure supplier compliance** – Your tools and vendors must also meet accessibility standards. ## Why Act Now? Investing in accessibility isn’t just about avoiding penalties, it’s a smart business decision. You’ll: - Reach a wider audience (over 87 million people in the EU have a disability) - Improve usability for all customers - Boost your reputation for inclusivity - Reduce legal and reputational risks Want to know where your website or app stands? We check accessibility against WCAG in a [health check](https://www.impaktfull.com/service/health-checks), and build it in from the start in every [app](https://www.impaktfull.com/service/apps) and [website](https://www.impaktfull.com/service/websites). ## Frequently asked questions ### Does the European Accessibility Act apply to B2B? For services, mostly not: the EAA applies to services provided to consumers. A tool used only by businesses is outside its scope. A service that also serves private people, like a webshop for both, is in scope, and products like payment terminals are in scope whoever buys them. ### Are small businesses exempt from the EAA? Microenterprises (fewer than 10 people and at most €2 million turnover or balance sheet) are exempt for the services they provide, not for the products they make. ### Which standard do I need to meet for the EAA? EN 301 549, the European standard that includes WCAG 2.1 level AA for websites and apps. ### When did the EAA start to apply? On 28 June 2025. There are transition periods until 28 June 2030 for products already in use and for existing contracts, and up to 20 years for self-service terminals. --- impaktfull builds and runs apps, websites, platforms and AI agents, from Antwerp, Belgium. More at https://www.impaktfull.com.