People with limited mobility—including people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with temporary or permanent functional limitations—will have easier access to goods and services.
Parliament voted in the first reading to approve a draft law on accessibility requirements applicable to certain goods and services. The purpose of the bill is to ensure effective access on an equal and non-discriminatory basis, thereby promoting the autonomy, social participation, and integration of these individuals.
The draft law, developed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, transposes European standards in this area into national legislation and establishes accessibility requirements for goods and services provided within Moldova.
The document establishes the obligation of economic operators and service providers to ensure the necessary conditions for the use of goods and services by all categories of people, including people with disabilities. The regulation covers six sectors: technology and software development, e-commerce, financial services, transportation services, services provided by government agencies, and emergency communications management.
How will the new law be applied in practice?
Accessibility requirements will become mandatory for electronic communications and for providers of audiovisual media services. In the transportation sector, they will apply to websites and mobile apps, methods of providing travel information, and self-service terminals used throughout the country.
The rules will also apply to the process of handling calls to the single emergency number 112.
Accessibility requirements will also be mandatory for hardware systems, payment terminals, ATMs, e-books, and other similar products.
Businesses and service providers that fail to comply with accessibility requirements will be subject to fines.
Microenterprises providing services will be exempt from the obligation to comply with accessibility requirements.
The draft law on accessibility requirements applicable to certain products and services will still be considered by Parliament in its second reading. The new provisions will take effect on January 1, 2028, with the exception of the sections on accessibility requirements applicable to goods and services, which will take effect on the date of the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the European Union. At the same time, the drafters propose a five-year transition period for service contracts in effect as of the law’s entry into force. Self-service terminals used prior to the new rules taking effect may continue to be used for no more than 20 years.
