EN 301 549 — Web
EN 301 549 is the European standard for accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services. It is the technical standard referenced by the Web Accessibility Directive (EU 2016/2102) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA, Directive (EU) 2019/882) for web content.
How it relates to WCAG
For websites and web applications, Clause 9 of EN 301 549 incorporates the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by reference. In practice, meeting EN 301 549's web requirements means meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA (later versions of the standard move toward WCAG 2.2 AA).
That means the familiar four WCAG principles apply:
- Perceivable — text alternatives, captions, adaptable content, distinguishable contrast and presentation.
- Operable — keyboard accessibility, enough time, no seizure-inducing content, navigable structure, input modalities.
- Understandable — readable text, predictable behaviour, input assistance and error handling.
- Robust — compatible with current and future assistive technologies.
What's in scope
- Public sector websites and intranets/extranets (Web Accessibility Directive)
- E-commerce, banking, transport ticketing/check-in, e-books, and other private-sector websites and web apps in scope of the EAA
- Web content delivered as part of a product or service, including authoring tools and content management systems used to produce it
Other relevant clauses
EN 301 549 also includes clauses that commonly apply alongside Clause 9 for web-delivered services:
- Clause 5 — Generic requirements (e.g. closed functionality)
- Clause 6 — ICT with two-way voice communication
- Clause 7 — ICT with video capabilities
- Clause 11 — Software (relevant where a “web app” behaves like software, e.g. single-page applications)
- Clause 12 — Documentation and support services
Where to go next
See the EN 301 549 overview for how all the clauses fit together, the timeline for key dates, or the non-web overview for requirements covering native apps, kiosks, documents, and hardware.