EN 301 549 — the technical standard behind EU accessibility law
EN 301 549 is the harmonized European standard referenced by the EAA and all its national transpositions. For websites, clause 9 maps directly to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Passing an EN 301 549 audit is the primary path to demonstrating EAA conformance across the EU.
Free scan available · WCAG 2.1 AA · EN 301 549 clause 9 aligned · Built for EU agencies
What is EN 301 549?
EN 301 549 is a European Standard (EN) produced by ETSI, CEN, and CENELEC. It defines accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) products and services — including websites, mobile apps, software, and documents. The European Accessibility Act and the earlier Web Accessibility Directive both reference it as the primary harmonized standard for demonstrating conformance.
When a national authority assesses whether a digital service meets EAA requirements, they typically measure against EN 301 549. For websites and web applications, the operative content is clause 9 — which incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA in full.
Who references EN 301 549
The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) and all 27 national transpositions. Also the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) for public-sector websites. Any EU compliance assessment for digital accessibility will use EN 301 549 as the technical benchmark.
Current version
The current version is EN 301 549 v3.2.1 (2021-03). It incorporates WCAG 2.1 by reference. A v3.3.x update is expected to incorporate WCAG 2.2 success criteria, but v3.2.1 is what EAA enforcement references today.
What it covers
Clause 5: Generic requirements. Clause 6: ICT with two-way voice communication. Clause 7: ICT with video capabilities. Clause 8: Hardware. Clause 9: Web content. Clause 10: Non-web documents. Clause 11: Software. Clause 12: Documentation and support.
How it relates to WCAG
For websites, clause 9 of EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA in full, plus a small number of additional requirements (9.6 — WCAG 2.x conformance requirements). Passing WCAG 2.1 AA for your website content covers the core of what clause 9 requires.
What does EN 301 549 require for websites?
EN 301 549 has 14 clauses. For websites and web-based services, clauses 9–12 are most relevant. Clause 9 is the primary one for most audit work.
Web content
Covers websites and web applications. Clause 9 maps directly to WCAG 2.1 Level AA — all four principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) and the 50 success criteria at Level A and AA.
Non-web documents
Covers downloadable documents (PDFs, Word files, presentations) linked from websites. The same WCAG principles apply but adapted for document formats.
Software and mobile apps
Covers native software and mobile applications. Similar to Clause 9 but with platform-specific requirements for focus, zoom, and assistive technology APIs.
Documentation and support services
Requires that product and service documentation, plus customer support, be accessible — including help pages, FAQs, and contact channels.
What does Clause 9 of EN 301 549 require?
Every AccessiProof audit maps findings directly to EN 301 549 clause 9 criteria. The four WCAG principles — Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust — cover the full range of barriers that real users encounter.
Perceivable content
- Text alternatives for non-text content (images, icons, media)
- Captions and alternatives for audio and video
- Color contrast and visual presentation
- Resizable text, reflow, and orientation
Operable interface
- Full keyboard accessibility for navigation, forms, and interactive components
- Sufficient time, no traps, and no seizure-inducing content
- Focus visible, predictable, and logical
- Bypass blocks and accessible page structure
Understandable content
- Language declared and consistent
- Predictable navigation and consistent identification
- Form labels, error identification, and helpful suggestions
- Input assistance for legal, financial, and transactional steps
Robust implementation
- Valid name, role, and value for assistive technology
- ARIA used correctly, not as a band-aid
- Status messages exposed without focus changes
- Compatibility with current assistive technologies
Manual review is still required. Automated scanners reliably catch around 30–40% of WCAG issues. The rest — keyboard journey breakage, screen reader naming, focus management, semantic structure, and content clarity — needs a human pass. Our paid audits include operator review of every finding before publication and flag which criteria were automated versus human-verified, but a full manual conformance audit of every flow and authenticated state is out of scope unless specifically contracted.
Three steps to EN 301 549 readiness
From a free baseline scan to a full audit with clause 9 mapping and an evidence trail that builds over time.
Free Scan
Up to 5 pages scanned automatically. Get a prioritized snapshot of accessibility issues, evidence blocks, and a personalized free-to-paid recommendation. Emailed within 24 hours.
Start a Free ScanAccessibility Audit
Up to 15 key pages reviewed. Prioritized findings mapped to EN 301 549 clause 9 criteria, with selectors, HTML snippets, screenshots, and a remediation roadmap. White-label ready.
Request an AuditMonthly Monitoring
Rescan up to 3 client sites monthly, with regression detection, verified-fix tracking, and branded reports your agency can forward without rewriting.
Set Up MonitoringSee what an EN 301 549 audit report looks like
A real, populated demo report — findings mapped to clause 9 criteria, evidence blocks with selectors and HTML snippets, screenshots, and a remediation roadmap your client's dev team can work from.
One standard, many national laws
EN 301 549 is the common technical foundation across the EU. The national law that applies to your clients depends on where they do business — but the technical requirements are the same standard.
Honest scope
AccessiProof provides evidence-backed website accessibility audits, prioritized findings, and remediation guidance aligned to EN 301 549 clause 9 and WCAG 2.1 AA.
Our reports are not legal advice, not formal certification, and not an official conformance determination unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing. Compliance decisions remain the responsibility of the covered business, its legal counsel, and the relevant national enforcement authority. For authoritative determinations, we recommend involving qualified accessibility and legal professionals in your jurisdiction.
EN 301 549 covers more than websites — hardware, software, documents, support services. We focus specifically on web content (clause 9) and web-linked documents (clause 10). If your scope includes native apps, kiosks, or other ICT, let us know and we can advise on scope.
Related EU accessibility frameworks
Every EU law in this space sits on the same technical spine. Use these pages to map your clients' obligations across Europe.
European Accessibility Act
The EU directive that underpins every national accessibility law below.
Read pageEU frameworkWCAG 2.2
W3C success criteria at the heart of every EU accessibility rulebook.
Read pageNational lawGermany — BFSG
Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz: Germany's EAA transposition, in force since 28 June 2025.
Read pageNational lawFrance — RGAA & Article 47
Dual track: RGAA 4.1 for public bodies and Ordonnance 2023-859 for private e-commerce.
Read pageNational lawSpain — Ley 11/2023
RD 1112/2018 for public sector plus Ley 11/2023 and RD 193/2023 for private e-commerce.
Read pageNational lawRomania — Legea 232/2022
Romania's EAA transposition, enforced by ANPC since 28 June 2025.
Read pageNational lawItaly — D.Lgs. 82/2022
Italian EAA transposition layered on the Stanca Law (Legge 4/2004), supervised by AgID and AGCOM.
Read pageNational lawNetherlands — Toegankelijkheid
Besluit digitale toegankelijkheid for public bodies plus EAA-derived obligations for private services.
Read pageNational lawIreland — S.I. 636/2023
Irish EAA transposition, enforced by CCPC and sectoral regulators since June 2025.
Read page