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European Accessibility Act: France
FR- Applies from
- 2025-06-28
- Maximum penalty
- No single fixed euro figure — see why.
- Enforcement authority
- DGCCRF (Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control) for products and most services, including e-commerce; sector regulators such as ARCEP, Arcom, ACPR and AMF within their own fields. Arcom separately enforces article 47 of loi n° 2005-102 for public bodies and large companies — https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/les-fiches-pratiques/professionnels-vos-produits-et-services-doivent-etre-conformes-la-directive-accessibilite
- Microenterprise exemption
- Yes — under the EAA's EU-wide microenterprise exemption for services
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- National law
- Code de la consommation, art. L. 412-13 (created by loi n° 2023-171 of 9 March 2023, art. 16), with penalties in art. R. 451-4 (décret n° 2023-931 of 9 October 2023)
- Notes
- €7,500 per infringement for a company (a fifth-class contravention: €1,500 for an individual, five times that for a legal person), and the fines are cumulative with the number of infringements found, so there is no overall cap. Repeat offences are punished more heavily (Code de la consommation, art. R. 451-4 II). The DGCCRF can also order a business to comply, with a daily penalty (astreinte) and publication, and the marketing of non-compliant products can be suspended. Separately from the EAA, Arcom can fine public-sector bodies up to €50,000 for inaccessible online services, and those bodies and companies above a revenue threshold up to €25,000 for not publishing an accessibility statement or multi-year plan (loi n° 2005-102, art. 47-1).
Who is obligated in France
France runs two overlapping regimes. The EAA itself was transposed into the Code de la consommation (article L. 412-13), which applies from 28 June 2025 to the products and services the Directive covers, including e-commerce, banking, e-books, passenger transport and electronic communications, for every economic operator except microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 staff and no more than €2 million in turnover or balance sheet). Alongside it, the older article 47 of loi n° 2005-102 keeps its own obligation for public-sector bodies and for companies above a revenue threshold (€250 million), covering their online services whatever their sector. Article L. 412-13 applies without prejudice to article 47, and how the two fit together is now before the courts: in the Auchan case the Lille court read the obligation through the €250 million threshold, a reading the associations have appealed.
What happens if you don't comply
The DGCCRF, the consumer-protection authority, enforces the EAA for products and most services, e-commerce included, and has been checking since 28 June 2025, notably when it receives reports. It can order a business to comply, backed by a daily penalty (astreinte) and publication of the order. Breaches of the accessibility obligations are fifth-class contraventions: €7,500 per infringement for a company, cumulative with the number of infringements found, and heavier for a repeat offence. Where non-compliant practices persist, the marketing of the products concerned can be suspended. Sector regulators (ARCEP for electronic communications, Arcom for audiovisual services, ACPR and AMF for banking) enforce within their own fields. Arcom's separate regime under the 2005 law covers public bodies and large companies' accessibility statements and plans, with a public formal notice before any fine. Private parties can also go to court: disability associations obtained an order against Carrefour this way in 2026.
How this differs from the EU baseline
France keeps an older, broader accessibility law in force alongside its EAA transposition instead of replacing it. Under article 47 of loi n° 2005-102, very large companies (revenue above €250 million) have to make their online services accessible whatever their sector, which the Directive does not require. Its penalty model is also unusual: rather than one administrative ceiling, EAA breaches are criminal contraventions fined per infringement, so the total depends on how many breaches are found.
How to complain
Two separate routes exist depending on what went wrong. If a business hasn't responded satisfactorily after you already flagged an accessibility problem directly to them, you can file with the Défenseur des droits — France's independent rights ombudsman — by online form, phone, or free post. For e-commerce, transport, banking, or telecom specifically, the DGCCRF's SignalConso platform has a dedicated entry for accessibility-directive breaches.
Frequently asked questions about the EAA in France
- What is the maximum EAA fine in France?
- France does not set a single fixed euro maximum in its implementing law. €7,500 per infringement for a company (a fifth-class contravention: €1,500 for an individual, five times that for a legal person), and the fines are cumulative with the number of infringements found, so there is no overall cap.
- Who enforces the European Accessibility Act in France?
- DGCCRF (Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control) for products and most services, including e-commerce; sector regulators such as ARCEP, Arcom, ACPR and AMF within their own fields. Arcom separately enforces article 47 of loi n° 2005-102 for public bodies and large companies. Details are published at https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/les-fiches-pratiques/professionnels-vos-produits-et-services-doivent-etre-conformes-la-directive-accessibilite.
- Since when does the EAA apply in France?
- The requirements apply from 28 June 2025, the EU-wide date, transposed into France by France's national implementing law.
- Are small businesses exempt from the EAA in France?
- Only microenterprises — fewer than 10 staff and annual turnover or balance sheet total of €2 million or less — and only for services. A microenterprise in France that places a covered product on the market still has to make that product accessible.
Official source: https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/les-fiches-pratiques/professionnels-vos-produits-et-services-doivent-etre-conformes-la-directive-accessibilite
Verified on 2026-09-29. This page is not legal advice — verify against the official source above before making compliance decisions.