Web Accessibility Directive

The Web Accessibility Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/2102) is European Union
legislation requiring that the websites and mobile applications of public
sector bodies be accessible. It was approved by the European Parliament on
26 October 2016 and has been transposed into national law across all EU
member states.
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Scope

The directive applies to public sector bodies — government departments,
local authorities, publicly funded organisations, and similar entities —
across all EU member states. It does not apply to private sector organisations,
which are covered separately by the European Accessibility Act from 2025.

Certain categories are explicitly excluded from the directive:
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• Broadcasting organisations and their subsidiaries
• NGOs that do not provide services essential to the public
• Schools, kindergartens, and nurseries (except content relating to essential online administrative functions)
• Content of extranets and intranets published before 23 September 2019
• Online maps, unless essential navigation information is provided accessibly

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Deadlines

The directive established phased compliance deadlines:

Content type	Compliance deadline
New public sector websites	23 September 2019
All public sector websites	23 September 2020
Public sector mobile applications	23 June 2021

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Technical standard

Compliance is assessed against the European standard EN 301 549, which
references WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content. Member states must use EN 301 549
as the harmonised technical specification.
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Accessibility statements

Public sector bodies subject to the directive must publish an accessibility
statement for each website and mobile application. The statement must include:

• The extent of conformance with EN 301 549
• Content that is not accessible and the reasons why
• Accessible alternatives where available
• A feedback mechanism for users to report accessibility problems
• A link to the relevant national enforcement body

Accessibility statements must be reviewed and updated regularly.
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Enforcement

Each member state designates a national monitoring body responsible for
checking compliance. The monitoring methodology includes automated and
manual testing of a sample of public sector websites. Member states must
report to the European Commission every three years.

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Relationship to the European Accessibility Act

The Web Accessibility Directive applies only to public sector bodies. The
European Accessibility Act, which came into force on 28 June 2025, extends
similar requirements to private sector organisations providing covered products
and services. The two pieces of legislation coexist — public sector organisations
remain subject to the directive; private sector organisations become subject
to the EAA.

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References

1. European Parliament. Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32016L2102 ↑
2. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. EU Web Accessibility Directive. https://www.w3.org/WAI/policies/european-union/ ↑
3. European Commission. Accessibility statements — model. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/11974-Web-accessibility-model-accessibility-statement_en ↑