{"id":12408,"date":"2026-08-13T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/?p=12408"},"modified":"2026-07-23T10:50:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T09:50:01","slug":"eaa-eu-countries-one-year-after-entry-into-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/eaa-eu-countries-one-year-after-entry-into-force\/","title":{"rendered":"EAA: How EU Countries Are Doing One Year After Its Entry into Force"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It has now been one year since the European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into force, and the first signs of its implementation are beginning to emerge across Europe. As a result, several Member States have started introducing monitoring mechanisms, inspections, and enforcement measures to ensure that websites, mobile applications, and digital services are accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we take a look at how France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain are putting the EAA into practice and enforcing compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don't miss it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">France: The Railway Inspection That Exposed Accessibility Shortcomings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>France's competent enforcement authority, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), in cooperation with several other bodies, including the Banque de France, has stepped up its efforts to monitor compliance with accessibility requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An inspection carried out between 2025 and 2026 across 38 railway facilities revealed a lack of staff training, as well as websites that failed to fully comply with accessibility standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, the French authorities have launched three new investigations focusing on the accessibility of e-commerce services, multimedia products, and coach and maritime transport services. During the current year, they expect to inspect a total of 100 establishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since December 2025, consumers have also been able to report accessibility shortcomings through the SignalConso platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A notable example of enforcement action is the legal proceedings initiated against four major supermarket chains&nbsp; (Auchan, Carrefour, E. Leclerc, and Picard Surgel\u00e9s) over the inaccessibility of their websites and mobile applications. The organizations ApiDV and Droit Pluriel, supported by Int\u00e9r\u00eat \u00e0 Agir, argue that these companies continue to maintain discriminatory barriers that prevent people with visual impairments from shopping independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investigations carried out by a panel of experts identified several serious accessibility failures, including missing alternative text for images, insufficient colour contrast, and interface elements that could not be operated using only a keyboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sources: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Direction g\u00e9n\u00e9rale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la r\u00e9pression des fraudes.(2026, June 25). <em>Accessibilit\u00e9: un an apr\u00e8s l\u2019entr\u00e9e en vigueur de la directive europ\u00e9enne, bilan de l\u2019action de la DGCCRF<\/em>. Ministere de l'Economie, des Finances et de la Souverainete industrielle, energetique et numerique. Ministere des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, du Commerce, de l'Artisanat, du Tourisme et du Pouvoir d'achat. Ministere de l'Action et des Comptes publics. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economie.gouv.fr\/dgccrf\/actualites-dgccrf\/accessibilite-un-apres-lentree-en-vigueur-de-la-directive-europeenne-bilan-de-laction-de-la-dgccrf\">https:\/\/www.economie.gouv.fr\/dgccrf\/actualites-dgccrf\/accessibilite-un-apres-lentree-en-vigueur-de-la-directive-europeenne-bilan-de-laction-de-la-dgccrf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Int\u00e9r\u00eat \u00e0 agir. (2025, November 12). <em>Assignation en r\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 des entreprises Auchan, Carrefour, E. Leclerc et Picard Surgel\u00e9s<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interetaagir.org\/assignation-en-refere-des-entreprises-auchan-carrefour-e-leclerc-et-picard-surgeles\/?utm_content=early-signs-of-eaa-enforcement-across-europe\">https:\/\/www.interetaagir.org\/assignation-en-refere-des-entreprises-auchan-carrefour-e-leclerc-et-picard-surgeles\/?utm_content=early-signs-of-eaa-enforcement-across-europe<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Italy: Prevention Before Penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In Italy, the Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) has issued Guidelines on the Accessibility of Services, setting out the criteria that service providers must follow to comply with accessibility requirements. These guidelines promote an accessibility by design and accessibility by default approach, helping organizations reduce the costs and complexity of making accessibility improvements at a later stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the national market surveillance authority, AgID has also established an official platform through which members of the public can report cases of non-compliance involving websites or mobile applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Italy has introduced a specific privacy safeguard requiring service providers to refrain from using tracking technologies, such as cookies or browser fingerprinting, to infer whether a user has a disability based on the accessibility settings or assistive technologies they use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is also worth noting that AgID conducts regular accessibility monitoring of Public Administration websites and PDF documents, including quarterly simplified assessments and more comprehensive annual reviews to verify compliance with accessibility requirements.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale. (2026, March 4). <em>Linee Guida sull'accessibilit\u00e0 dei servizi in attuazione dell'articolo 21 del decreto legislativo n. 82 del 2022 <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agid.gov.it\/sites\/agid\/files\/2026-03\/Linee_Guida_accessibilit%C3%A0_dei_servizi_%28EAA%29.pdf\">https:\/\/www.agid.gov.it\/sites\/agid\/files\/2026-03\/Linee_Guida_accessibilit%C3%A0_dei_servizi_%28EAA%29.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale. (2026, March 11). <em>European Accessibility Act (EAA): pubblicate le Linee Guida AgID sull'accessibilit\u00e0 dei servizi <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agid.gov.it\/it\/notizie\/european-accessibility-act-eaa-pubblicate-le-linee-guida-agid-sullaccessibilita-dei-servizi\">https:\/\/www.agid.gov.it\/it\/notizie\/european-accessibility-act-eaa-pubblicate-le-linee-guida-agid-sullaccessibilita-dei-servizi<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale. (2025, November 6). <em>Monitoraggio Accessibilit\u00e0<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/monitoraggio.accessibilita.agid.gov.it\/\">https:\/\/monitoraggio.accessibilita.agid.gov.it\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Netherlands: 61% of E-Commerce Websites Still Fail to Meet Accessibility Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has reported that 61% of the country's e-commerce websites are still not digitally accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common issues include purchase buttons that cannot be operated using a keyboard and CAPTCHA systems that are inaccessible to many users. The ACM also found that 33% of online stores have serious accessibility problems which, although they do not prevent customers from completing a purchase, make the process unnecessarily difficult and burdensome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the ACM's study, while most e-commerce businesses want to improve accessibility, they cite a lack of time, financial resources, and technical expertise, as well as uncertainty about their legal obligations, as the main barriers to progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, the ACM emphasizes that an inaccessible website not only fails to comply with the law but also drives away potential customers.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Authority for Consumers &amp; Markets. (2026, March 24). <em>ACM: Majority of large online stores are not accessible for customers with disabilities<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acm.nl\/en\/publications\/acm-majority-large-online-stores-are-not-accessible-customers-disabilities\">https:\/\/www.acm.nl\/en\/publications\/acm-majority-large-online-stores-are-not-accessible-customers-disabilities<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sweden: Large E-Commerce Retailers Under the Spotlight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In Sweden, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) has launched a planned enforcement programme and has already opened 28 supervisory cases. The review focuses on major e-commerce retailers established in Sweden, including well-known companies such as H&amp;M, IKEA, and the Coop supermarket chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The PTS's assessment concentrates on websites, examining three key areas in particular: the homepage, the product page, and the search function. The objective is to verify that information about the service is provided in an accessible manner and that the website's design is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, in line with recognised accessibility principles.\u00a0<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sources: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Post-och telestyrelsen. (2025, October 15). P<em>TS inleder en tillsyn av e-handelstj\u00e4nster. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/pts.se\/nyheter-och-pressmeddelanden\/pts-inleder-en-tillsyn-av-e-handelstjanster\/?utm_content=early-signs-of-eaa-enforcement-across-europe\">https:\/\/pts.se\/nyheter-och-pressmeddelanden\/pts-inleder-en-tillsyn-av-e-handelstjanster\/?utm_content=early-signs-of-eaa-enforcement-across-europe<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Post- och telestyrelsen. (2026, March 3). <em>PTS granskar ytterligare 11 e-handelstj\u00e4nsters tillg\u00e4nglighet<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/pts.se\/nyheter-och-pressmeddelanden\/pts-granskar-ytterligare-11-e-handelstjansters-tillganglighet\/\">https:\/\/pts.se\/nyheter-och-pressmeddelanden\/pts-granskar-ytterligare-11-e-handelstjansters-tillganglighet\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spain: The UTAC Is Created to Coordinate Accessibility Enforcement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In Spain, the UTAC (Technical Support and Coordination Unit for Accessibility Surveillance Authorities) has been established as a specialised body attached to the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The UTAC was created by Royal Decree 143\/2026 of 25 February and is responsible for overseeing compliance with the accessibility requirements set out in Law 11\/2023, which transposes the European accessibility legislation into Spanish law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its primary mission is to support and coordinate the surveillance authorities of Spain's Autonomous Communities, ensuring the consistent enforcement of the European accessibility framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the UTAC serves as the national contact point for receiving complaints and reports from members of the public regarding failures to comply with accessibility requirements applicable to regulated products and services.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y Agenda 2030. <em>Unidad t\u00e9cnica de apoyo y coordinaci\u00f3n de las autoridades de vigilancia en materia de requisitos de accesibilidad (UTAC). <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dsca.gob.es\/ca\/derechos-sociales\/discapacidad\/unidad-tecnica-apoyo-coordinacion-autoridades-vigilancia-materia\">https:\/\/www.dsca.gob.es\/ca\/derechos-sociales\/discapacidad\/unidad-tecnica-apoyo-coordinacion-autoridades-vigilancia-materia<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One year after the European Accessibility Act (EAA) entered into force, the competent authorities across the European Union have begun rolling out monitoring, inspection, and enforcement mechanisms. Each Member State has adopted its own approach: France and Italy have combined inspections with preventive measures, while the Netherlands and Sweden have focused on the systematic review of e-commerce websites. Spain, meanwhile, has prioritised the creation of an institutional coordination framework through the UTAC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results seen so far, such as the finding that 61% of Dutch e-commerce websites still fail to meet accessibility requirements, and the fact that several large companies are already facing enforcement proceedings, demonstrate that the current level of compliance remains far from satisfactory, regardless of an organisation's size or sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That's why Lawwwing helps you bring your website into compliance with the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) automatically and meet the requirements of the European Accessibility Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With our solution, you get an <strong>accessibility widget<\/strong> that allows every visitor to customise their browsing experience according to their individual needs. And if you're looking for full compliance, we can also carry out a comprehensive accessibility audit and help you obtain your Accessibility Statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don't wait any longer and stay compliant with <strong>Lawwwing<\/strong>.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong>Luken, M. (19 de diciembre de 2025). Early signs of EAA enforcement across Europe. Deque Systems. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deque.com\/blog\/early-signs-of-eaa-enforcement-across-europe\/\">https:\/\/www.deque.com\/blog\/early-signs-of-eaa-enforcement-across-europe\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/blog\/\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(132,206,249) 0%,rgb(219,180,255) 100%)\">DIGITAL LAW AND DATA PROTECTION BLOG<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It has now been one year since the European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into force, and the first signs of its implementation are beginning to emerge across Europe. As a result, several Member States have started introducing monitoring mechanisms, inspections, and enforcement measures to ensure that websites, mobile applications, and digital services are accessible to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":12409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,443,445,446,502,508,519,636],"tags":[506,841,842],"class_list":["post-12408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-compliance","category-european-comission","category-european-union","category-legislation","category-web","category-website","category-accesibilidad-2","category-accessibility-web-compliance","tag-eaa-2","tag-widget-2","tag-enforcing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12408"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12412,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12408\/revisions\/12412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}