COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Implementation Plan Accompanying the proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services
Date: 2015-12-02
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: UN convention, action programme, approximation of laws, disabled person, electronic commerce, goods and services, harmonisation of standards, provision of services, single market, technical specification

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 2.12.2015  
SWD(2015) 266 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Implementation Plan 

Accompanying the proposal for a  

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the 
Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services 

{COM(2015) 615 final} 
{SWD(2015) 264 final} 
{SWD(2015) 265 final} 

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COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Implementation Plan 

Accompanying the proposal for a  

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the 
Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The objective of this Directive is to improve the functioning of the internal market for specific 
accessible products and services, while facilitating the work of industry and serving the needs 
of consumers, especially those with disabilities.  

Currently,  there  is  a  divergence  in  national  legislation  containing  accessibility  requirements 
related to products and services. The national accessibility requirements that Member States 
have  put  in  place  differ  both  as  regards  their  coverage  and  their  level  of  detail.  Concerning 
certain  products  or  services,  some  Member  States  have  established  detailed  technical  rules 
whereas  in  other  Member  States  there  are  no  such  rules.  In  the  future  this  divergence  is 
expected to increase. This Commission proposal for a Directive aims to remove and prevent 
fragmentation.  

In order to ensure an effective and consistent implementation of the Directive's accessibility 
requirements in all Member States, Commission services will envisage specific actions based 
on an analysis of the challenges relating to the implementation of this present Directive. Well-
structured explanatory documents will facilitate the tasks of monitoring the transposition and 
support the achievement of the implementation process. 

This implementation plan will be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, adapted. Both the risks 
relating  to  external  actors  (Member  States,  businesses  and  citizens)  and  risks  related  to  the 
actions  to  be  taken  by  the  Commission  services  in  the  transposition  of  the  Directive  are 
assessed in this document.  

2. 

GENERAL ASSISTANCE BY THE COMMISSION 

Under  the  proposed  Directive,  Member  States  will  have  to  ensure  that  the  provisions  on 
accessibility  requirements  of  selected  products  and  services  are  properly  regulated  and 
implemented  within  the  prescribed  deadline. The  Commission  is  conscious  that  cooperation 
with national authorities must be developed at an early stage to reach this goal. The following 
general actions should be put in place as soon as possible after the adoption of the proposal to 
guide Member States: 

(a) 

Provide  a  contact  point  for  Member  States  to  facilitate  the  dissemination  of 
information  regarding  the  new  Directive  as  well  as  transposition  procedures  (e.g.  a 
functional mailbox); and 

(b) 

Update DG Employment's website with relevant information on the new Directive.  

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3. 

DETAILED RISK ASSESSMENT AND PROPOSED ACTIONS 

Concerning the specific risks three categories have been identified: 

(i)  Providing full coverage within the timeframe 

The  proposed  Directive  aims  at  ensuring  that  similar  accessibility  requirements  are  in  force 
for some selected products and services in all Member States of the European Union. For that 
purpose,  Member  States  need  to  make  sure  that  the  Directive  is  properly  transposed  in 
national legislation within two years and that application is from six years after the entry 
into force of the Directive.1 
In order to ensure smooth implementation and address potential risks linked to this element of 
the proposed Directive, the Commission will consider the following actions: 

Box 1 Actions: 

•  Hold meetings with Member States to closely monitor the implementation process and 

to highlight the importance of a timely and proper transposition; 

•  Focus on problems emerging during the preparation of the national measures;  

•  Spread best practices amongst all Member States; and 

•  Set up training activities addressed to national authorities. 

 (ii)   Ensuring an adequate monitoring (and evaluation) of the Directive’s transposition 

A  full  evaluation  of  the  effects  of  the  accessibility  requirements  laid  down  in  the  Directive 
could,  however,  only  be  undertaken  in  the  longer  term.  Some  of  the  requirements  will  take 
time to have any impact e.g. in products with a long life cycle. A first report will be done five 
years  after  the  application  of  the  Directive.  This  report  may  include  selected  issues:  e.g. 
changes  in  the  market  structure;  changes  in  the  relevance  of  the  products  and  services  for 
accessibility; assessment of the availability of accessible products and services in the market; 
the impacts of this Directive on economic operators and persons with disabilities. 

In order to ensure smooth implementation and address potential risks linked to this element of 
the proposed Directive, the Commission will consider the following actions: 

Box 2 Actions: 

•  Address issues relating to the assessment of different topics (such as the ones 

indicated above in italics) in meetings with Member States during the implementation, 
paying specific attention to inform relevant stakeholders; 

•  Meet as needed with a group of experts to serve as a forum for mutual learning and 
exchange of best practices on the implementation process (longer term perspective); 

•  Work with the European Standardisation organisations to develop accessibility 

standards where more technical detail is needed; 

•  Cooperate with industry umbrella organisations; and 

1 See timeline in Annex 2 of this Implementation Plan. 

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•  Consult with consumers and involve organisations of persons with disabilities and 

older persons. 

(iii)   Ensuring adequate information is given to economic operators 

In order to raise consumers' awareness on accessibility of products and services targeted by 
the  Directive,  the  proposed  Directive  requires  manufacturers,  importers,  distributors, 
authorised representatives and service providers to inform, verify and prepare documentation 
on how they conform with the accessibility requirements of this Directive. 

In order to ensure smooth implementation and address potential risks linked to this element of 
the proposed Directive, the Commission will consider the following actions: 

Box 3 Actions: 

•  Organise meetings with businesses representatives on the new Directive to provide 

guidance on its implementation, taking into account economic operators' obligations; 

•  Foresee awareness raising activities on accessibility among the general public upon 

adoption of the proposal; 

•  Provide information (namely online) to Member States and relevant stakeholders upon 

adoption of the legislative instrument; and 

•  Promote mutual learning and exchange of best practices between Member States 

regarding the implementation of the new Directive. 

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DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 

ANNEX 1 

ACTIONS BY THE COMMISSION TO PROVIDE GENERAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MEMBER 

A. 
STATES 

Objective 

Action 

Timing 

Disseminate information 
and facilitate transposition 
procedures 

Provide a contact point for Member 
States 

Upon adoption of the 
proposal  

Disseminate all relevant 
information 

Develop the relevant page in DG 
Employment's Internet site 

Upon adoption of the 
proposal  

ACTIONS BY THE COMMISSION TO ENSURE SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION AND ADDRESS 

B. 
POTENTIAL RISKS 

Objective 

Action 

Timing 

Providing full coverage 
within the timeframe 

Ensuring an adequate 
monitoring and evaluation 
of the transposition 

Hold meetings with Member States 
to closely monitor the 
implementation process and to 
highlight the importance of a timely 
and proper transposition 

Starting three months 
after the adoption of the 
proposal  

Focus on problems emerging during 
the  preparation  of 
the  national 
measures 

During  the  transposition 
period 

Spread  best  practices  amongst  all 
Member States 

During  the  transposition 
period 

Set up training addressed to national 
authorities 

During  the  transposition 
period 

Address issues relating to the 
assessment of different topics in 
meetings with Member States on the 
implementation process, paying 
specific attention to inform relevant 
stakeholders 

Meet with a group of experts to 
serve as a forum for mutual learning 
and exchange of best practices  

During the transposition 
period 

At the end of the 
transposition deadline 

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Ensuring that adequate 
information is 
disseminated 

Cooperate with industry umbrella 
organisations 

Upon adoption of the 
proposal  

Consult with consumers and 
organisations of persons with 
disabilities and older persons 

Organise meetings with businesses 
representatives on the Directive to 
provide guidance on its 
implementation, taking into account 
economic operators' obligations 

Upon adoption of the 
proposal  

Upon adoption of the 
proposal  

Raise awareness on accessibility 
amongst the general public 

Starting after the 
adoption of the proposal  

Provide information (namely online) 
to Member States and relevant 
stakeholders (i.e. economics 
operators) 

Promote mutual learning and 
exchange of best practices between 
Member States on the 
implementation process 

Upon adoption of the 
proposal  

During the transposition 
period 

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IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE 

ANNEX 2 

Entry into force  
(on the 20th day following 
OJ EU publication) 

EAA Directive 

Enter into application of 
the Directive 

6 years

Transposition period  

2 years 

2015 

2016 

2017 

2019 

2022 

2027 

Provisions of the Directive applicable 

Commission's 
proposal 

Adoption by the EP 
and the Council 

1st Commission implementation report 
(5 years after Directive's application) 

Next reports every 5 years 

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