There’s a lot of confusion around how the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is actually enforced. Who checks for compliance? Does someone review your products and services?
In this guide, we break down how enforcement works across the EU, who’s responsible in each country, and what that means for your business.
How the EAA Is Enforced
The EAA is enforced by national authorities in each EU country, not by a single EU-wide enforcement team. For example, in Italy, enforcement is handled by AGID (Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale). In Austria, a different authority is responsible – the Sozialministeriumsservice.
These national authorities are responsible for:
- Monitoring products and services for accessibility issues
- Responding to complaints from users
- Requesting fixes or improvements when non-compliance is found
- Issuing warnings, penalties, or fines if necessary
In some countries, there isn’t just one authority in charge. Multiple bodies may be responsible for different sectors covered by the EAA, such as banking, transportation, e-commerce, and digital communication services.
For example, in Greece, the Bank of Greece oversees banking and financial services, while the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission handles the telecom sector. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Development & Investments monitors commerce and online platforms.
Want to know who enforces the EAA in each country? Check out our guide on EAA Monitoring Authorities by Country for a quick overview.
How EAA Monitoring Works
As we discussed above, EAA enforcement and monitoring are done at the national level by designated authorities in each EU country.
There are typically two ways non-compliance is flagged:
- User complaints
- Audits by national enforcement authorities
User complaints are the most common trigger. If someone encounters an accessibility issue and reports it, the business is expected to respond within a timeline. If it doesn’t, the complaint can be escalated to the national authority for formal review.
In our “What Happens If You’re Not EAA Compliant“ guide, we break down exactly what happens when a national authority receives a complaint about your business. Give it a read if you’re curious.
As for official audits, every EU member state is required to monitor compliance. However, it’s currently unclear how often these audits happen or how authorities choose which products or services to review. The process likely varies by country and sector.
In both cases, when it reaches the authority, enforcement typically begins with a warning, giving the business a chance to resolve the issue within a specified timeframe. If you fail to do so, you may face consequences such as fines, restrictions, or even bans.
Are You Ready for EAA Enforcement?
With the EAA deadline here, now’s the time to start taking action. If you’ve read our last-minute guide to EAA compliance, you already know you’re not too late. There’s still time to make meaningful progress and avoid legal troubles.
If you’re working on making your website EAA compliant, we can help. Start by running a quick EAA compliance audit (below), then fix the issues using our AI-powered solutions. Once you’re done, publish an EAA accessibility statement to demonstrate your commitment to accessibility.
Scan your site to uncover quick wins and get code-level fixes you can apply right away:
Get started now! Take the first step toward compliance before someone flags your site.
AUTHOR
Melwyn holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and has been writing professionally for over 4 years. He has a strong background in SEO and is certified in web accessibility from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). When he's not writing about website optimisation, you can find him enjoying a game of FIFA or exploring the open world of GTA.
Melwyn Joseph 
