The EAA in France
France has written the European Accessibility Act into national law and is among the EU’s more active enforcers — authorities have opened cases, launched market surveillance, or set out clear penalty powers.
Penalties
What non-compliance can cost in France
The maximum reported penalty in France is 5th-class contravention — €7,500 (legal persons) — up to €300,000 cumulative with daily fines; a parallel web-accessibility regime (ARCOM) adds €50,000 + €25,000. Penalties are set nationally under Article 30 of the directive, which requires them to be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
The EAA is transposed by Art. 16 of Loi 2023-171 (Code de la consommation), with penalties set in Décret 2023-931; Ordonnance 2023-859 covers the separate web-accessibility directive (2016/2102), not the EAA. France filed the first EAA-related lawsuits in November 2025 against major retailers (Auchan, Carrefour, E.Leclerc, Picard).
Cure period
ARCOM issues a public mise en demeure; a sanction follows only if it is not remedied within six months.
Complaints & enforcement
How a complaint reaches a penalty in France
Users contact the provider via the required “Accessibilité” link; ARCOM monitors digital accessibility and the DGCCRF handles products and services.
Scope
Who must comply
The obligations are the same EU-wide: any business placing covered products or providing covered services to consumers in France is in scope, including companies based outside the EU. Micro-enterprises are exempt for services only. See the full scope and exemptions on the overview.
Operating in France? Find out where you stand.
I run structured accessibility audits against EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.2 AA, mapped to the obligations that apply in your markets. Start with a conversation about your risk and readiness.
Sources
Figures for France are reproduced from the sourced references on the main briefing and verified June 2026. The transposing law is Loi 2023-171 (9 Mar 2023, Art. 16) + Décret 2023-931; see the EU’s official national transposition measures for Directive (EU) 2019/882. Enforcement is evolving fast and sources conflict — this page is an educational summary, not legal advice.
Official source — Loi 2023-171 (9 Mar 2023, Art. 16) + Décret 2023-931