Compliance Guide
Practical guide to EU accessibility compliance — WAD, EAA, and national laws across 15 countries. Statement templates, checklists, and developer guidance.
Fulfilling digital accessibility requirements is not just a legal obligation but a prerequisite for an inclusive digital service. This guide covers practical compliance across the EU/EEA — from national laws and enforcement to accessibility statements and developer checklists.
Who Must Comply?
Two EU directives define who is required to meet accessibility standards. Both map to EN 301 549 (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) as the technical baseline.
WAD — Public Sector
The Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102) requires all public sector websites and mobile apps to be accessible. In force since 2019.
EAA — Private Sector
The European Accessibility Act (2019/882) extends requirements to private companies — e-commerce, banking, transport, media. In effect since June 28, 2025.
See the full breakdown of directives, scopes, and deadlines in our EU Legal Framework Guide.
National Requirements
Each EU/EEA member state has transposed these directives into national law with country-specific sanctions and enforcement bodies. HolmDigital covers 15 countries:
| Country | WAD Law | EAA Law | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | DOS-lagen | Tillgänglighetslagen (LPTT) | Digg / PTS |
| Norway | IKT-forskrift | EEA Adaptation | Digdir / UU-tilsynet |
| Denmark | Webtilgængelighedsloven | Tilgængelighedsloven | Digitaliseringsstyrelsen |
| Finland | 306/2019 | Laki 102/2023 | AVI |
| Germany | BITV 2.0 | BFSG | BFIT |
| Netherlands | Besluit digitale overheid | Wet DT | Logius |
| France | RGAA | Loi accessibilité | ARCOM |
| Spain | RD 1112/2018 | Ley de accesibilidad | OAW |
| Italy | Legge 4/2004 (Stanca) | D.lgs. 82/2022 | AgID / AGCOM |
| Portugal | DL 83/2018 | DL 82/2022 | AMA / ANACOM |
| Poland | Ustawa o dostępności cyfrowej | Ustawa o dostępności | MC / UOKiK |
| Ireland | SI 358/2020 | EAA Transposition | NDA |
| United Kingdom | PSBAR 2018 | Equality Act 2010 | EHRC / GDS |
| United States | Section 508 | ADA Title III | DOJ / OCR |
| Canada | Standard on Web Accessibility | ACA | Accessibility Commissioner |
For detailed sanctions, deadlines, and authority contact info per country, see the Authorities Guide.
EAA: In Effect Since June 28, 2025
The European Accessibility Act now applies to private sector actors across the EU — e-commerce, banking, transport, and media services. Non-compliance can result in significant fines, product withdrawal, or market restrictions depending on your country.
Accessibility Statement
Under both WAD and EAA, organizations must publish an accessibility statement describing how well the service meets requirements and how users can report shortcomings. The format varies by country — HolmDigital generates statements compliant with DIGG (Sweden), EU Commission, and W3C WAI templates in 12 languages.
Create your statement
Need an accessibility statement? We generate them automatically from scan results — in 12 languages, compliant with your national requirements.
Book help with statement →Compliance Checklist
- Know Your Legal ObligationsIdentify which directive applies (WAD for public, EAA for private) and your country's specific law. See the Legal Framework Guide.
- Technical ValidationRun regular scans with @holmdigital/engine to find deviations from WCAG 2.1 / EN 301 549.
- Accessible UI ComponentsUse pre-validated components from our Component Catalog to ensure compliance from the start.
- Publish an Accessibility StatementRequired by law in most countries. Generate one automatically with HolmDigital's Statement component or via the MCP server.