The verdict in three sentences
Since 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), transposed in France, requires consumer-facing digital services to be accessible: e-commerce, banking, transport, ticketing, communications. A company with more than 250 employees should budget 2,500 to 6,000 EUR for a RGAA audit and 5,000 to 25,000 EUR for fixes, against a penalty of up to 50,000 EUR per non-compliant service in France. The right move in 2026: audit, publish an honest accessibility statement and fix by priority rather than rebuild everything.
Who is covered and what are the 2026 obligations?
The French framework combines the 2005 law (article 47), RGAA 4.1 and the EAA transposition. The RGAA standard has 106 criteria in 13 themes, aligned with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Obligations depend on size and activity.
| Company situation | Main obligation | Documents to publish | Indicative maximum penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer service covered by the EAA (e-commerce, banking, transport) | WCAG 2.1 AA / RGAA compliance | Accessibility statement, service information | Up to 50,000 EUR per non-compliant service |
| Company with revenue above 250 M EUR | Accessible websites and apps | Statement, multi-year plan, annual action plan | Up to 50,000 EUR for a missing statement |
| Public body or public service contractor | Full RGAA | Statement, multi-year plan, annual plan | Administrative penalty and formal notice |
| SME with 10 to 249 staff selling online | EAA compliance for covered services | Accessibility statement | Formal notice, then fine |
| Service micro-enterprise (under 10 staff and under 2 M EUR) | Exempt for EAA services | No formal obligation | None, but reputational risk |
| B2B brochure site without transactions | No direct EAA obligation | Recommended | Low, except demanding public tenders |
In practice, large-account and public sector tenders increasingly require an up-to-date accessibility statement, even for B2B sites that are not covered.
How much does compliance cost?
Cost depends on the number of templates (page types) more than on the total number of pages. A RGAA audit usually covers a sample of 15 to 25 representative pages.
| Service | Typical scope | 2026 price excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick RGAA audit | 10 pages, 106 criteria, report | 2,500 to 3,500 EUR | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Full RGAA audit | 20 to 25 pages, key journeys, screen reader tests | 4,000 to 6,000 EUR | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Fixes on a brochure or corporate site | 8 to 12 templates | 5,000 to 10,000 EUR | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Fixes on an e-commerce site or client portal | 15 to 30 templates, checkout | 12,000 to 25,000 EUR | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Re-audit after fixes | Check of non-conformities | 1,500 to 2,500 EUR | 1 week |
| Content team training | 1 day, accessible writing | 1,200 to 2,000 EUR | 1 day |
| Accessibility statement and multi-year plan | Drafting and publication | 800 to 1,500 EUR | 3 to 5 days |
A site built on a recent CMS with a clean theme can often be fixed for under 10,000 EUR. An older site with custom JavaScript components (menus, carousels, modals) may justify a partial rebuild.
Fix by priority: the plan that protects you fastest
There is no need to aim for 100% compliance in the first month. The goal is to fix what blocks users in critical journeys first, then document the rest in the statement.
| Priority | Example non-conformities | Share of budget | Target timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 blocking | Unlabelled forms, checkout unusable by keyboard, captcha without alternative | 40% | 0 to 30 days |
| P2 major | Insufficient contrast, informative images without alt text, poor heading structure | 30% | 30 to 90 days |
| P3 important | Videos without captions, untagged PDFs, ambiguous links | 20% | 3 to 6 months |
| P4 improvement | Imperfect tab order, unclear error messages | 10% | 6 to 12 months |
This split lets you publish a partially compliant statement with a measured rate, for example 72%, then raise it at each re-audit.
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Mini case study
Helene, head of legal at a 420-employee medical equipment distributor in Lyon, runs a B2B and B2C e-commerce site. The full audit costs 5,200 EUR excluding VAT and shows a 48% compliance rate across 22 templates. P1 and P2 fixes are quoted at 14,500 EUR, the re-audit at 1,800 EUR and the statement at 1,000 EUR. Total: 22,500 EUR excluding VAT. Against a risk of 50,000 EUR per non-compliant service, and 3 hospital tenders requiring an up-to-date statement, the budget is approved in a single committee meeting.
FAQ
Does RGAA apply to a B2B site without online payment?
Not directly under the EAA, unless the company exceeds 250 M EUR in revenue. A 2,500 EUR audit is still useful if you bid on public tenders.
What is the difference between RGAA and WCAG?
RGAA turns WCAG 2.1 level AA into 106 testable criteria with a French methodology. RGAA compliance means meeting WCAG 2.1 AA.
Is an accessibility overlay plugin enough?
No, automatic overlays rarely fix more than 20 to 30% of issues and do not count as compliance. They can even interfere with screen readers.
How long does full compliance take?
Plan 2 to 4 months for a corporate site and 4 to 9 months for an e-commerce site with 15 to 30 templates, re-audit included.
Should the audit be repeated every year?
An annual re-audit at 1,500 to 2,500 EUR is recommended, especially after any major change to the site or checkout.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site address and critical journeys, and we will price the audit, the prioritised fixes and the compliance timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
