European Accessibility Act: which products and services must be accessible

• consumer general purpose computer hardware systems and their operating systems;
• self-service terminals: payment terminals, ATMs, ticketing machines, check-in machines and interactive self-service terminals providing information, except terminals installed as integrated parts of vehicles, aircraft, ships or rolling stock;
• consumer terminal equipment with interactive computing capability used for electronic communications services;
• consumer terminal equipment with interactive computing capability used for accessing audiovisual media services;
• e-readers (Article 2(1)).

• electronic communications services, with the exception of transmission services;
• services providing access to audiovisual media services;
• elements of air, bus, rail and waterborne passenger transport services, such as websites, mobile apps, electronic tickets and ticketing services;
• consumer banking services;
• e-books and dedicated software;
• e-commerce services (Article 2(2)).

E-commerce services are services provided at a distance, through websites and mobile device-based services, by electronic means and at the individual request of a consumer with a view to concluding a consumer contract (Article 3(30)). An online shop or app that sells to consumers in the EU provides one.

Microenterprises providing services are exempt from the accessibility requirements (Article 4(5)). A microenterprise employs fewer than 10 persons and has an annual turnover or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 2 million (Article 3(23)). There is no such exemption for products: the Directive only says the obligations for microenterprises dealing with products should be lighter (recital 71).

• design and manufacture the product in accordance with the accessibility requirements of Annex I (Article 7(1));
• prepare the technical documentation, carry out the conformity assessment of Annex IV, draw up an EU declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking (Article 7(2));
• keep the technical documentation and the declaration for five years after the product is placed on the market (Article 7(3));
• show a type, batch or serial number, and your name, trade name or trade mark and a single contact address (Article 7(5) and (6));
• provide instructions and safety information in a language easily understood by consumers (Article 7(7));
• correct or withdraw non-compliant products, inform the market surveillance authorities and keep a register of non-compliant products and complaints (Article 7(8)).

Importers may place only compliant products on the market and must first check the conformity assessment, the technical documentation and the CE marking (Article 9). A manufacturer may appoint an authorised representative by written mandate (Article 8).

• design and provide the service in accordance with the accessibility requirements (Article 13(1));
• prepare the information of Annex V explaining how the service meets the requirements, and make it available to the public in written and oral format (Article 13(2));
• have procedures in place so that the service stays compliant (Article 13(3)).

• The requirements apply only where they do not require a fundamental alteration of the product or service and do not impose a disproportionate burden (Article 14(1)).
• Service providers may keep using products they lawfully used before 28 June 2025 to provide similar services until 28 June 2030 (Article 32).
• Service contracts agreed before 28 June 2025 may continue unaltered until they expire, but no longer than five years from that date (Article 32).
• Member States may allow self-service terminals lawfully used 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 into use (Article 32).

Not sure which other EU rules apply to you? Use the EU rules finder.