Peradeo Blog · Europe · Published 2026-08-27 · 8 min read
The European Accessibility Act in the Netherlands: The New Web Accessibility Law for Private Businesses
By Vatsal Shah — Founder & CEO, IAAP WAS-Certified Accessibility Professional
Europe's web accessibility rules used to stop at the public sector. That changed on June 28, 2025, when the European Accessibility Act (EAA, Directive (EU) 2019/882) became applicable across the EU — including in the Netherlands, which implemented it into national law through its implementation act for accessibility requirements for products and services (Implementatiewet toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften producten en diensten). For the first time, private-sector websites and apps in key industries must be accessible by law throughout the EU.
Two layers of Dutch law
- Public sector (since 2018): the Besluit digitale toegankelijkheid overheid requires Dutch government bodies to meet EN 301 549 (which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA) and to publish an accessibility statement (toegankelijkheidsverklaring) for every website and app.
- Private sector (since June 28, 2025): the EAA extends accessibility obligations to businesses selling covered products and services to consumers in the Netherlands and the rest of the EU.
Which businesses the EAA covers
The EAA applies to consumer-facing services and products including:
- E-commerce — any online store selling to EU consumers, which makes this the broadest category by far;
- Banking and financial services — consumer banking websites, apps, and payment terminals;
- Passenger transport — airline, rail, bus, and ferry booking sites, apps, ticketing machines, and e-tickets;
- Telecommunications services and equipment;
- E-books and e-readers, audiovisual media services, computers, smartphones, and self-service terminals (ATMs, kiosks).
Timing nuances: services newly provided from June 28, 2025 must comply now; some pre-existing service contracts and self-service terminals benefit from transition periods (up to 2030 for services). Microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million turnover) are exempt from the services obligations, though their products may still be covered.
It reaches non-EU businesses too
Like the GDPR, the EAA follows the consumer, not the company's address. A Canadian or American e-commerce business that ships to Dutch or other EU consumers, prices in euros, or otherwise targets the EU market falls within scope. Enforcement in the Netherlands sits with market surveillance authorities such as the ACM (Authority for Consumers and Markets), which can order corrective measures, fine non-compliant traders, and ultimately have services withdrawn from the market. Consumer and disability organizations can also lodge complaints and take representative action.
The technical standard
Conformity with the EAA is presumed when digital services meet EN 301 549, the harmonized European ICT accessibility standard, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content (an update aligning with WCAG 2.2 is in progress). In practice, complying means:
- WCAG 2.1 AA conformance across the purchase journey — product pages, cart, checkout, account, invoices, and support;
- Accessible identification, payment, and security flows (CAPTCHA and 2FA are frequent failure points);
- An accessibility statement describing how your service meets the requirements;
- Accessible customer communication channels and documents (order confirmations, e-invoices, PDFs).
Practical steps
- Determine scope: do you sell covered services to EU consumers, and does the microenterprise exemption apply?
- Audit your website and app against EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA with manual assistive-technology testing;
- Prioritize the transactional funnel — an inaccessible checkout is both the highest legal risk and the biggest revenue leak;
- Publish your accessibility statement and set up a feedback channel;
- Keep conformance documentation current — market surveillance authorities can request it.
Selling into North America as well? See our companion guides to the ADA, Section 508, and the Accessible Canada Act.
How Peradeo can help
Peradeo is a web accessibility company based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Our IAAP-certified specialists audit websites and web applications against WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 AA using real assistive technologies (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), remediate the issues hands-on as developers, and prepare the compliance documentation — including VPAT® / Accessibility Conformance Reports and accessibility statements — that regulators and procurement teams ask for.
- Learn more about our web accessibility audit & remediation services
- Request a free accessibility check of your website
This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Requirements change over time — consult a qualified lawyer for advice about your specific obligations.