Home > EU Policy & Social Affairs > European Accessibility Act, Setting Accessibility Requirements to Products and Services, Comes Into Effect

European Accessibility Act, Setting Accessibility Requirements to Products and Services, Comes Into Effect

The European Accessibility Act is an EU Directive that requires that a set of products and services meet accessibility requirements for all users.  These products and services include the emergency number 112, consumer electronics (TVs, smartphones, computers, video game consoles, etc.), vending and ticket machines, websites and mobile apps, e-commerce platforms, and emergency services, among others. Moreover, failing to comply with the law could result in penalties.

Because it is an EU Directive, it is not a piece of legislation that directly applies in the Member States. Instead, Member States were required to publish their own national laws, regulations and administrative provisions to comply with the Directive by 28 June 2022. Moreover, the Directive set that such national-level policies must start applying from 28 June 2025. 

To celebrate the application date of the European Accessibility Act, the European Commission organised the event “Hi, European Accessibility Act… Let´s Rock Accessibility!”, which EPR attended. The event was an opportunity to listen to different panel discussions discussing the application of the European Accessibility Act with topics including: ICT products, transport, digital services, telecommunications, public procurement and the built environment. This event was part of AccessibleEU, a flagship initiative of the European Union created in 2023 to develop accessibility capabilities in EU countries, supporting the implementation of European Union legislation on accessibility and connecting the stakeholders responsible for implementing accessibility rules in the EU.

European Accessibility Act available here.

Information about the entry into force of the European Accessibility Act is available here.

More information on the “Hi, European Accessibility Act… Let´s Rock Accessibility!” event is available here.