The verdict in three sentences
Under the EU Web Accessibility Directive, a public body must publish an accessibility statement, provide a feedback mechanism and fix non-conformities, with national regulators monitoring compliance and, in France, fines of up to EUR 50,000 per service. A realistic budget for a 300 to 800 page council website is EUR 12,000 to 32,000, audit and remediation included. The cheapest route is still to require WCAG 2.1 AA in the tender specifications of your next redesign rather than fixing afterwards.
What the obligation says in 2026
The EU Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102), transposed in Ireland by S.I. No. 358 of 2020 and in France through the RGAA 4.1, requires public sector websites to meet EN 301 549, aligned with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Here are the obligations and the cost of non-compliance:
| Obligation | Expected content | Sanction or risk if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage mention | Compliance status: non, partially or fully compliant | Up to EUR 50,000 per service in France, regulator action in Ireland |
| Accessibility statement | Compliance rate from an audit, inaccessible content, enforcement procedure | Complaint to the regulator or ombudsman |
| Multi-year accessibility plan (3 years) | Strategy, resources, staff training | Up to EUR 50,000 in France |
| Annual action plan | Dated and budgeted actions | Formal monitoring report |
| Accessibility contact | A way to report inaccessible content | User complaints |
| Updates | At every substantial change and at least every 3 years | Statement becomes void |
In France the fine can be renewed every 6 months while the breach persists. In Ireland, the National Disability Authority monitors compliance and users can escalate to the Ombudsman or the Workplace Relations Commission.
Budget: audit, remediation and support
2026 ballpark figures for a mid-size local authority:
| Item | Small site (under 100 pages) | Council site (300 to 800 pages) | Portal with online services |
|---|---|---|---|
| WCAG audit on sample | EUR 3,500 (15 pages) | EUR 5,000 (20 pages) | EUR 7,000 (20 pages + journeys) |
| Technical fixes (templates, menus, forms) | EUR 8,000 | EUR 15,000 | EUR 25,000 |
| Content remediation (PDFs, images, videos) | EUR 1,500 | EUR 4,000 | EUR 6,000 |
| Training for content editors | EUR 1,200 (1 day) | EUR 2,000 (2 days) | EUR 3,000 |
| Drafting multi-year plan and statement | EUR 800 | EUR 1,200 | EUR 1,500 |
| Validation re-audit | EUR 1,500 | EUR 2,500 | EUR 3,500 |
| Indicative total | EUR 16,500 | EUR 29,700 | EUR 46,000 |
PDFs are often the nasty surprise: council minutes, reports and scanned forms are inaccessible by default. Set a simple rule: every new document published as HTML or a tagged PDF.
The 6-month timeline
| Month | Step | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Sample selection, initial audit | Audit report, baseline compliance rate |
| Month 2 | Prioritising non-conformities | Action plan, provisional statement published |
| Months 3 and 4 | Fixes on templates and components | Compliant templates in staging |
| Month 4 | Editor training | Accessible writing guide |
| Month 5 | Priority content remediation | Fixed PDFs and media |
| Month 6 | Re-audit, publication | Final statement, multi-year plan approved |
Publishing a "partially compliant" statement in month 2 beats having no statement: stating the exact rate already limits the enforcement risk.
Clauses to include in the public tender
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For the next redesign, require in the technical specifications: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across all templates, a compliance audit by an independent third party before acceptance, a minimum 90% rate for acceptance, free correction of any non-conformity found, and editor training included. Weight the accessibility criterion at 10 to 15% of the technical score.
Mini case study
Ciara, head of communications at a county council serving 95,000 residents near Dublin. The site has 650 pages, 1,200 PDFs and no accessibility statement. A local association for blind people has just filed a complaint.
The 20-page audit shows a 38% compliance rate. The approved budget: audit EUR 5,000, fixes EUR 15,000, content EUR 4,000, training EUR 2,000, plan and re-audit EUR 3,700, so EUR 29,700. After 6 months, the rate reaches 87%. For comparison, in France the same breach would expose the authority to a EUR 50,000 fine potentially renewed every 6 months, EUR 100,000 a year. Ciara estimates the investment far cheaper than a public enforcement case and its reputational cost.
FAQ
What is the difference between WCAG and EN 301 549?
EN 301 549 is the European standard referenced by the Directive; for websites it incorporates WCAG 2.1 level AA. France's RGAA 4.1 translates the same requirements into 106 testable criteria.
Do we need to audit every page?
No, a representative sample is enough: homepage, contact, legal notice, sitemap and typical templates. 15 to 25 pages work for most local authorities.
Is a EUR 50 per month accessibility overlay enough?
No, these overlays do not make a site compliant and are criticised by disability organisations. No serious audit accepts them as a fix.
How much does staying compliant cost?
Allow EUR 2,000 to 5,000 per year for training new editors, an annual check and updating the statement.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site URL: WCAG audit on a sample, remediation budget, 6-month timeline and drafting of tender clauses. 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.
