EN 301 549 is how WCAG gets into European law
A harmonised European standard for ICT accessibility that gains legal weight only when a version is cited in the Official Journal — which is why the version number in a tender matters more than the standard's name.
Not legal advice · scan a public URL free
- The version currently referenced in the Official Journal, adopted in August 2021
- v3.2.1
- The version it replaced, referenced since 2018
- v2.1.2
- Listed on ETSI's deliver server and dated September 2026. We could not open the document body, so nothing here describes its contents in detail
- V4.1.1
- Additional success criteria at A and AA if a reference moves from WCAG 2.1 to 2.2
- 6
The citation position was read on the European Commission's page about the accessibility standard, 11 September 2026. The V4.1.1 version number and date come from ETSI's own listing and not from the document. Publication is not citation: the presumption of conformity follows the version cited in the Official Journal, which is a separate decision on a separate timetable.
Versions, and the difference between published and cited
A standards body can publish a new version at any time. The presumption of conformity follows a citation, which is a separate decision on a separate timetable.
| Item | Status, and where that comes from |
|---|---|
EN 301 549 v3.2.1 | Currently referenced in the Official Journal, per the European Commission's page read 11 September 2026. Adopted August 2021, building heavily on WCAG 2.1; corrected an editorial oversight so WCAG 2.1 applies to documents downloaded from the web. |
EN 301 549 v2.1.2 | The version it replaced, referenced since 2018. |
EN 301 549 V4.1.1 | Listed on ETSI's deliver server, dated September 2026; reported to move the web, document and software clauses to WCAG 2.2 AA. We could not open the document body, so this states the version and date rather than its contents. |
| Published is not cited | If a tender names EN 301 549 without a version, ask which version and check the current citation rather than assuming the newest document governs. |
What a move from WCAG 2.1 to 2.2 asks of a web team
Six success criteria at A and AA. Exactly one is reachable by an automated rule on the engine we run; the other five need a person.
Our WCAG 2.2 AA checklist marks all 55 criteria as automated or manual. Building to WCAG 2.2 AA also satisfies a 2.1 reference.
| Criterion | What it asks for | Automation |
|---|---|---|
3.2.6Consistent HelpLevel A | Help and contact routes sit in the same relative place on every page that has them. | Person required |
3.3.7Redundant EntryLevel A | A process does not ask twice for information it already has. | Person required |
2.4.11Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)Level AA | The one sticky headers and cookie banners break constantly. | Person required |
2.5.7Dragging MovementsLevel AA | Needs a non-drag alternative for anything draggable. | Person required |
2.5.8Target Size (Minimum)Level AA | Sets a minimum hit area. | Automated rule |
3.3.8Accessible Authentication (Minimum)Level AA | Rules out login flows that depend on a memory or puzzle test with no alternative. | Person required |
What this does not do
- It is not legal advice.
- Which directive reaches you, and which citation governs your answer, are questions for a qualified adviser rather than a testing vendor.
- We cover one clause, partially.
- Hardware, two-way voice, real-time text, documentation and support services are all in the standard and outside any web scan. Automated rules reach 23 of the 55 WCAG 2.2 AA criteria on our engine; the rest are reported as not checked.
- We do not certify or issue reports.
- No conformance certificate, no signed audit, and no completed conformance report against the European edition of any template.
- We have not read V4.1.1 in full.
- Its version and date come from ETSI's own listing; the description of its contents here is deliberately brief for that reason.
Frequently asked questions
No — it is a harmonised European standard, not legislation. It gains legal force through the presumption of conformity: once a version is cited in the Official Journal under a directive, meeting the relevant clauses is taken as meeting the corresponding legal requirements, which is why the version number matters.
EN 301 549 v3.2.1 is the version currently referenced in the Official Journal, adopted in August 2021 and replacing v2.1.2 which had been referenced since 2018 — per the European Commission's own page, read on 11 September 2026. ETSI's deliver server separately lists a newer document, V4.1.1 dated September 2026, but a published version is not automatically the cited one, so check the current citation before planning.
Six additional success criteria at A and AA — two at Level A (Consistent Help, Redundant Entry) and four at AA (Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), Accessible Authentication (Minimum)). None of the six is reachable by an automated rule except Target Size on the engine we run.
No — EN 301 549 builds heavily on WCAG and carries it into the web, document and software clauses, but it is a broader ICT accessibility standard. It also covers hardware, two-way voice, real-time text, documentation and support services, none of which a web scan can reach.
Within the web clause, automated rules reach 23 of the 55 WCAG 2.2 AA criteria on the engine we run; the rest of the standard — hardware, voice, real-time text, documentation and support — is outside any web scan. We do not certify, do not issue conformance reports, and nothing here is legal advice.
Related
- VPAT and ACRWhat the template is, and what we can and cannot supply
- Web ScannerAudit any URL with WCAG 2.0 / 2.1 / 2.2 rules
- Workflow AnalyzerCatch accessibility issues in live, dynamic user flows
- All of AccessibilityAutomated WCAG scanning, workflow audits, and reports
- PricingPer-seat test management and per-thread device testing, priced on the page
Cover the web clause properly, and know what you have not covered
Scan the pages a European customer will actually use, clear what a rule can find, and get an explicit list of the criteria nothing checked.