European Accessibility Act Compliance in France
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) became enforceable in France on 28 June 2025. LOI n° 2023-171 wrote it into article L. 412-13 of the Code de la consommation, and décret n° 2023-931 sets out the details. Businesses offering covered products and services, such as e-commerce, banking, e-books, passenger transport ticketing and telecoms, have to meet accessibility requirements set by a joint ministerial arrêté.
Scan your site free- National law
- LOI n° 2023-171 of 9 March 2023
- Web standard
- The Code de la consommation sets the requirements by arrêté
- Enforcement
- DGCCRF (Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes)
Who has to comply in France
The EAA applies to businesses providing covered services to consumers in France, including e-commerce, consumer banking, e-books, passenger transport ticketing, and telecoms. Article L. 412-13 exempts micro-enterprises that provide services: fewer than 10 staff, and annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million. Reach 10 staff, or exceed both financial limits, and the obligations apply. Public-sector bodies follow a separate regime (article 47 of loi n° 2005-102 and décret 2019-768), which is distinct from the EAA obligations described here.
The deadlines that matter
LOI n° 2023-171 adopted. Its article 16 inserts article L. 412-13 into the Code de la consommation, transposing the EAA
Ordonnance n° 2023-859 adopted. It raises the penalties of the separate regime in article 47 of loi n° 2005-102
Décret n° 2023-931 adopted, setting out the obligations of economic operators and the penalties
EAA obligations apply to products placed on the market and to services, including services that already existed
European Commission sends France a reasoned opinion, INFR(2022)0305, for incomplete transposition
End of the transition for products already used to provide a service before 28 June 2025, and last date for service contracts agreed before then
The law in France
National law
LOI n° 2023-171 of 9 March 2023, whose article 16 inserted article L. 412-13 into the Code de la consommation, and décret n° 2023-931 of 9 October 2023, which transpose the European Accessibility Act into French law. Ordonnance n° 2023-859 of 6 September 2023 is a separate text: it amends article 47 of loi n° 2005-102, the older accessibility regime enforced by ARCOM. On 30 January 2026 the European Commission sent France a reasoned opinion, INFR(2022)0305, holding that transposition is still incomplete.
Web standard
The Code de la consommation sets the requirements by arrêté and presumes conformity with harmonised standards cited in the Official Journal (article D. 412-59); none is cited under the EAA yet. The RGAA (Référentiel général d'amélioration de l'accessibilité) 4.1.2 is the reference framework for article 47 of loi n° 2005-102, and the Caen court measured Carrefour against it. RGAA 5, based on WCAG 2.2, is announced for the end of 2026.
Enforcement
The DGCCRF (Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes) enforces article L. 412-13 for e-commerce. Under article L. 511-25-1, ARCEP, ARCOM, the ACPR and the AMF cover electronic communications, audiovisual media and banking. A breach is a fifth-class contravention under article R. 451-4, with a fine of up to EUR 1,500 per offence, or EUR 7,500 for a company. The EUR 50,000 ceiling often quoted belongs to the separate article 47 regime, enforced by ARCOM. Consumers may also file a complaint with the Défenseur des droits.
How Conforma helps in France
Conforma scans your site against WCAG 2.2 AA and EN 301 549, then generates a France-specific accessibility statement and a dated compliance record you can keep on file. Each scan lists the exact issues to fix.
France EAA questions, answered
When does the EAA take effect in France?
The obligations have applied since 28 June 2025, to existing services as well as new ones, so an existing webshop has had to comply since that date. Under article 16 VIII of LOI n° 2023-171, a provider may keep using products it already used lawfully before 28 June 2025 until 28 June 2030, and service contracts concluded before 28 June 2025 may run unchanged until they end, at the latest on 28 June 2030. Self-service terminals already in use may stay to the end of their economic life, for at most 15 years from when they were put into service.
Is my small business exempt from the EAA?
Micro-enterprises that provide services are exempt: fewer than 10 staff, and annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million. Reach 10 staff, or exceed both financial limits, and the obligations apply.
Which accessibility standard must I meet, RGAA or EN 301 549?
The Code de la consommation sets the requirements by arrêté and presumes conformity with harmonised standards cited in the Official Journal (article D. 412-59); none is cited under the EAA yet. The RGAA 4.1.2 is the reference framework for article 47 of loi n° 2005-102, and the Caen court measured Carrefour against it. RGAA 5, based on WCAG 2.2, is announced for the end of 2026.
What are the penalties for non-compliance, and who enforces the EAA?
The DGCCRF enforces the EAA for e-commerce, with ARCEP, ARCOM, the ACPR and the AMF covering their own sectors. A breach is a fifth-class contravention under article R. 451-4: up to EUR 1,500 per offence, or EUR 7,500 for a company. The EUR 50,000 maximum belongs to the separate article 47 regime, enforced by ARCOM. Consumers who face an inaccessible service can also complain to the Défenseur des droits.
This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Check the cited national law for specifics.
Common fixes to check
Most sites fail the same WCAG checks first. Each guide has a plain-language fix and a before/after snippet you can copy.
The same Act, elsewhere in the EU
The Act is one directive, and each member state has transposed it into its own national law. Each of our 27 country pages names the statute and the body that enforces it, with the dates that apply there.
Also worth reading: what the first EAA court ruling decided, the free accessibility statement generator and the colour contrast checker.
See where your site stands in seconds
A free scan against WCAG 2.2 AA, a plain-language fix for every issue, and a France-specific accessibility statement when you need one.