EN 301 549 is a European Standard that sets the technical accessibility requirements for ICT products and services.
Think of EN 301 549 as the how to instructions that support different European directives (i.e., laws) that tell you what to do. So the laws give you the requirements and EN 301 549 is your how to guide.
Here’s an illustration:
EN 301 549 is a harmonised standard that supports the European Directive 2016/2102 (the web accessibility directive) on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies.
This is very convenient because conformance with EN 301 549 can be used to demonstrate compliance with that Directive.
Notably, EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA in full within clauses 9, 10, and 11.
While EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG, it is broader. It also covers biometrics, two-way voice communication, video and audio media, authoring tools, and documentation and support services. For a website specifically, Annex A, Table A.1 identifies applicable requirements drawn from clauses 5, 6, 7, 9, 9.4, and 12.
EN 301 549 is also being used as a reference for compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) (European Directive 2019/882), which became enforceable on June 28, 2025. The EAA covers a range of private sector products and services including e-commerce, banking, and e-books.
The standard is being revised to formally support the EAA. A draft, V4.1.0, was released in November 2025 for review. V4.1.1 is expected to appear in the Official Journal of the European Union around October 2026. Conformance with V4.1.1 will then create a presumption of conformity with the EAA, so organizations should track its progress. V4.1.1 is also expected to incorporate WCAG 2.2 in place of WCAG 2.1.
Until V4.1.1 is harmonized, V3.2.1 (published March 2021) remains the current version, and it is still a useful reference for EAA-covered entities. Covered entities should not wait for V4.1.1 to act, since the EAA is already enforceable.
In summary, EN 301 549 is a standard for the accessibility of ICT products and services that supports European Directives.
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