EAA scope: products and services covered

In brief

The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) does not cover everything. Article 2 lists the products and services in scope. Products placed on the market and services provided to consumers after 28 June 2025 must meet its accessibility requirements, unless an exception applies.

Use this page to check whether your product or service is on the list. Then use the checklist pages for the individual requirements.

Products in scope

Article 2(1) covers these products when they are placed on the market after 28 June 2025:

• Consumer general purpose computer hardware systems and the operating systems for those hardware systems.
• Self-service terminals: payment terminals, automated teller machines, ticketing machines, check-in machines and interactive self-service information terminals. Terminals installed as integrated parts of vehicles, aircraft, ships or rolling stock are excluded.
• Consumer terminal equipment with interactive computing capability that is used for electronic communications services.
• Consumer terminal equipment with interactive computing capability that is used to access audiovisual media services.
• E-readers.

Check the exact wording of Article 2(1)(b) before you decide that a particular terminal is in or out.

Services in scope

Article 2(2) covers these services when they are provided to consumers after 28 June 2025:

• Electronic communications services, with the exception of transmission services used for the provision of machine-to-machine services.
• Services providing access to audiovisual media services.
• Passenger transport (air, bus, rail and waterborne): websites, mobile device-based services including mobile applications, electronic tickets and ticketing services, transport service information including real-time travel information, and interactive self-service terminals located in the Union. For urban, suburban and regional transport, only the self-service terminals are covered.
• Consumer banking services, defined in Article 3(28) as banking and financial services provided to consumers, such as payment services, payment account services and electronic money.
• E-books and dedicated software.
• E-commerce services.

For services, the Directive speaks of services provided to consumers. A service provider is defined in Article 3 as someone who provides a service on the Union market.

Emergency communications and other EU law

Article 2(3) applies the Directive to the answering of emergency communications to the single European emergency number 112. Article 2(5) says the Directive is without prejudice to Directive (EU) 2017/1564 and Regulation (EU) 2017/1563.

Dates and transition

The main date is 28 June 2025. Article 32 adds limited transitional measures:

• Article 32(1): Member States must provide a transitional period ending on 28 June 2030, during which service providers may continue to use products they lawfully used to provide similar services before 28 June 2025. Service contracts agreed before that date may continue unchanged until they expire, but no longer than five years from that date.
• Article 32(2): Member States may allow self-service terminals lawfully used to provide services before 28 June 2025 to stay in use until the end of their economically useful life, but no longer than 20 years after they entered use.

These measures concern existing products and contracts. They do not postpone the requirements for new products or new services.

Exceptions that can apply to an in-scope offering

• Microenterprise exemption: service providers with fewer than 10 persons and a small turnover or balance sheet.
• Content exclusions: certain website and app content listed in Article 2(4).
• Disproportionate burden and fundamental alteration: Article 14.

What to do

• Match your offering to Article 2. Compare each product and service with the lists in Article 2(1) and 2(2).
• Check national law. Each Member State transposed the Directive. Read the law and the guidance of the country where you place products or provide services.
• Check the exceptions. Go through the microenterprise exemption, the content exclusions and Article 14 only after you know you are in scope.
• Record the decision. Write down what is in scope, what is not, and why, with the date.

Common mistakes

• Assuming only websites are covered. The Directive also covers products such as self-service terminals and e-readers, and services such as banking, e-books and passenger transport.
• Treating 2030 as a general postponement. The transitional measures in Article 32 concern products used for similar services and contracts agreed before 28 June 2025.
• Ignoring the Union market test. The definition of a service provider in Article 3 is based on providing a service on the Union market, not on where the company is registered.
• Skipping the exact wording. Several points in Article 2 contain conditions. Read the full text before you rule something in or out.

Sources

• Directive (EU) 2019/882, European Accessibility Act (EUR-Lex), opens in a new tab

This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For binding requirements, refer to the official text of the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) and to the national law of the Member State where you operate.