Purpose
The skill brings a captured service — typically an online shop, an app or a banking offering for consumers — into BFSG compliance. It separates the three levels that in practice are regularly conflated: the substantive requirements of the BFSGV, the information obligation under § 14 (1) no. 2 in conjunction with Annex 3 and the documentation obligation when relying on an exception. It drafts the accessibility information and the response to consumer, association and authority applications.
Inputs
- Type of service and assignment to § 1 (3) BFSG
- Consumer reference; for mixed offerings, the delineation of the B2C part
- Technical status: test report, WCAG or EN 301 549 conformity status, open barriers
- Existing accessibility information and where it is located (terms and conditions, footer, dedicated page)
- Products used within the meaning of § 1 (2) BFSG (terminals, end devices) and when their use began
- Any assessments under §§ 16, 17 BFSG including date
- Existing consumer or association application, authority letter, arbitration application
Sub-agent architecture
The Researcher obtains BFSG, BFSGV, Annexes 3 and 4, Directive (EU) 2019/882 and the standards and conformity tables published by the Federal Office for Accessibility. The Drafter creates the conformity matrix, drafts the accessibility information and the statement. The Reviewer checks whether the information obligation actually contains all four elements of Annex 3 no. 1, whether a reliance on an exception is documented and reported and whether the legal remedy is presented correctly.
Procedure
1. Determine the triad of obligations under § 14 BFSG
Under § 14 (1) BFSG , the service provider may offer or provide its service only if
- the service meets the accessibility requirements of the BFSGV meets and
- it has created the information under Annex 3 no. 1 and made it accessible to the general public in an accessible form .
Flanking provisions:
- § 14 (2) — retention of the information for as long as the service is offered or provided.
- § 14 (3) — ongoing assurance of conformity; changes to the provision, the requirements and the standards used must be taken into account.
- § 14 (4) — in the event of non-conformity: corrective measures without delay; if the service does not meet the requirements, the market surveillance authority — and the authorities of all Member States in which it is offered — must be without delay and to provide detailed information on the type of non-conformity and corrective measures.
- Section 14(5) — Information and cooperation vis-à-vis the market surveillance authority upon justified request.
Offering a non-conforming service is punishable under Section 37(1) no. 8 BFSG by a fine of up to EUR 100,000 .
2. Assign material requirements of the BFSGV
| Provision | Content |
|---|---|
| Section 12 BFSGV | General requirements for services: products used must themselves comply with Sections 4 to 11 BFSGV; information on the functioning and connection to products must be provided via more than one sensory channel, findable, understandable, perceivable, in generatable text formats, in an appropriate font size with sufficient contrast and with an alternative representation for non-textual content |
| Section 13 BFSGV | additional requirements for certain services |
| Section 14 BFSGV | Telecommunications service providers |
| Section 15 BFSGV, Section 16 BFSGV | Passenger transport services; urban, suburban and regional transport |
| Section 17 BFSGV | Banking services for consumers |
| Section 18 BFSGV | E-books |
| Section 19 BFSGV | Services in electronic commerce: information on the accessibility of the products and services offered, insofar as provided by the responsible economic operator; identification, authentication, security and payment functions as well as electronic signatures and payment services must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust designed |
| Section 20 BFSGV, Section 21 BFSGV | functional performance criteria |
The four principles of Section 19 BFSGV — perceivable, operable, understandable, robust — are the POUR principles of the WCAG. Via Section 4 BFSG compliance with a harmonised standard listed in the Official Journal confers the presumption of conformity; for digital offerings this is EN 301 549, which in turn refers to the WCAG [unverifiziert – prüfen] with respect to the respectively listed version. Section 3 BFSGV also requires compliance with the state of the art; the Federal Accessibility Office publishes standard lists and conformity tables for this purpose.
The presumption effect is requirement-related: a conformity level of "WCAG AA largely met" does not suffice; assignment per requirement is necessary.
3. Create accessibility information pursuant to Annex 3 no. 1
The service provider states in the T&Cs or in another clearly noticeable manner how the service meets the requirements. The information includes a description of the applicable requirements and covers, insofar as relevant to the assessment, design and implementation. In addition to the consumer information obligations under Art. 246 EGBGB, it contains in any case:
- a) a general description of the service in an accessible format;
- b) descriptions and explanationsthat are necessary for understanding the provision;
- c) a description of how the service meets the relevant requirements of the BFSGV;
- d) the indication of the competent market surveillance authority.
According to Annex 3 No. 2, the provider may use harmonized standards and technical specifications in full or in part for this purpose.
Element d) is almost always missing in practice. The indication of the competent market surveillance authority is a mandatory component, not decoration. The information must in turn be made accessible in an accessible manner and to the general public — i.e., without login and without an ordering process.
4. Examine and document exceptions (Sections 16, 17 BFSG, Annex 4)
- Section 16 BFSG — fundamental alteration: The requirements apply only insofar as their compliance does not require a significant change that leads to a fundamental alteration of the essential characteristics. Assessment by the provider, documentation for five years, presentation upon request, immediate notification to the authorities of all affected Member States.
- Section 17 BFSG — disproportionate burden: Assessment according to the criteria of Annex 4 — in particular the ratio of the net costs of compliance to the total costs of providing the service, one-time organizational costs (personnel, training, process development, guidelines, legal knowledge), ongoing costs (planning, production processes, testing, documentation) as well as the ratio of costs and benefits for persons with disabilities. Documentation for five years; repetition at least every five years and always upon a change to the service or at the request of an authority (Section 17(3)). Section 17(4) blocks the reliance, if public or private funds other than one's own were received to improve accessibility.
An exception that is neither assessed nor documented nor reported does not legally exist.
5. Market surveillance, consumer and association rights
- Section 28 BFSG — market surveillance of services by the competent authorities; § 29 — measures for non-compliant services; § 30 — formal non-compliance; § 31 — publication of information.
- Section 32 BFSG — Upon application by a consumer the authority shall initiate proceedings if it is asserted that an infringement makes use impossible or restricts it. The consumer may instruct an association recognized under Section 15(3) BGG or a qualified entity under Section 3(1) sentence 1 no. 1 UKlaG. Under Section 32(2) , such associations and entities may submit the application without their own legal infringement if the infringement affects their area of responsibility under their articles of association. The authority decides by administrative act (paragraph 3).
- Section 33 BFSG — legal remedies under the VwGO against the administrative act or its omission, also by associations and qualified entities; before the BVerwG only by persons with the qualification to hold judicial office.
- Section 34 BFSG — Conciliation before the conciliation body under Section 16(1) BGG; proceedings under Section 32 are to be suspended until the conciliation is concluded (Section 34(4)).
The BFSG does not provide for the consumer's own civil law claim to performance or damages. Enforcement takes place through the administrative procedure, conciliation, and — as a separate, contentious issue — through unfair competition law. Whether a BFSG infringement constitutes a market conduct rule within the meaning of Section 3a UWG and is therefore eligible for a cease-and-desist letter is unresolved; the question must be clearly stated in the mandate and must not be presented as settled [unverifiziert – prüfen].
6. Existing stock and transition (Section 38 BFSG)
Services may be provided using products that were lawfully used before 28.06.2025 until 27.06.2030 continue to be provided; service contracts concluded before this cut-off date may continue unchanged until the end of their term, at the latest until 27.06.2030. Self-service terminals enjoy the fifteen-year period under Section 38(2). Details: /barrierefreiheit-bfsg:bfsg-anwendungsbereich.
Deterministic calculation
The five-year cycle of the assessment under Section 17(3) BFSG, the retention periods, and the procedural deadlines are to be calculated. The calculator in ../../../scripts/legal_calc/ performs only the arithmetic:
# Wiederholung der Beurteilung § 17 Abs. 3 BFSG: 5 Jahre ab 30.06.2025
python -m scripts.legal_calc.cli frist --ereignis 30.06.2025 --menge 5 --einheit jahre --land BY
# Widerspruchsfrist § 70 VwGO gegen den Bescheid nach § 32 Abs. 3 BFSG
python -m scripts.legal_calc.cli frist --ereignis 05.05.2026 --menge 1 --einheit monate --land BY
Whether a burden is "disproportionate" remains an assessment under Annex 4 and must be justified separately.
Sources
Statute
- § 1, § 3, § 4, § 5, § 14, § 16, § 17, § 28, § 29, § 32, § 33, § 34, Section 37 BFSG, Section 38 BFSG; Annexes 3 and 4
- § 3, § 12, § 13, § 17, § 19, Section 21 BFSGV
- Directive (EU) 2019/882, Annex I Sections III and IV — EUR-Lex
- Section 16 BGG (conciliation body), Section 15(3) BGG (recognized associations)
- Article 246 EGBGB; Section 3a UWG; Section 70 VwGO
Commentaries and literature
- Ritgen/Sellmann, BFSG, commentary, Section 14, Section 17, Sections 32 et seq.
- Dörr/Natlacen, Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz, practical handbook, chapter on services and e-commerce.
- Köhler/Bornkamm/Feddersen, UWG, Section 3a (on the market conduct rule — classification of the BFSG unresolved).
- Federal Office for Accessibility, standard listing and conformity tables pursuant to Section 3(2) BFSGV.
Case law
To date, there is no settled case law on the BFSG; in particular, it remains unresolved whether Section 14 BFSG is a market conduct rule within the meaning of Section 3a UWG. Any decision that cites a model on this point is to be treated as [unverifiziert – prüfen] until it is evidenced in juris or Beck-Online.
Output format
BFSG-DIENSTLEISTUNGSPRÜFUNG — <Angebot> — <Datum>
I. Einordnung
Dienstleistung § 1 Abs. 3 Nr.: <…>
Verbraucherbezug: [ja / gemischt — B2C-Strecke: …]
Erbringung seit: <Datum> Übergang § 38: [einschlägig / nein]
II. Materielle Konformität
Einschlägige BFSGV-Normen: <§§ 12, 13, 19, 21 …>
Herangezogene harmonisierte Norm: <…> Vermutungswirkung § 4 BFSG: [je Anforderung]
Befundmatrix:
Anforderung | Status | Nachweis | offene Barriere
<…>
III. Informationspflicht § 14 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 iVm Anlage 3 Nr. 1
a) allgemeine Beschreibung in barrierefreiem Format: [vorhanden / fehlt]
b) Beschreibungen und Erläuterungen: [vorhanden / fehlt]
c) Darlegung der Anforderungserfüllung: [vorhanden / fehlt]
d) Angabe der Marktüberwachungsbehörde: [vorhanden / fehlt]
Fundort: <AGB / eigene Seite / Fußzeile>
Barrierefrei und ohne Login zugänglich: [ja / nein]
IV. Ausnahmen
§ 16 grundlegende Veränderung: [beurteilt am <Datum> / nicht beurteilt]
§ 17 unverhältnismäßige Belastung nach Anlage 4: [beurteilt am <Datum> / nicht beurteilt]
Nächste Wiederholung § 17 Abs. 3: <Datum>
Fördermittel (§ 17 Abs. 4): [ja — Berufung gesperrt / nein]
Mitteilung an die Behörde: [erfolgt / offen]
V. Verfahren und Rechtsschutz
Antrag nach § 32 Abs. 1 / Abs. 2: <Verbraucher / Verband / qualifizierte Einrichtung>
Bescheid § 32 Abs. 3: <Stand>
Schlichtung § 34: [beantragt — Verfahren ausgesetzt / nein]
Rechtsbehelf § 33 iVm VwGO: <Frist bis <Datum>>
UWG-Risiko: offen — § 3a UWG ungeklärt
VI. Maßnahmenplan
Sofort | 30 Tage | 90 Tage | mit Priorität und Verantwortlichkeit
VII. Bußgeldrisiko § 37 Abs. 1 Nr. 8: bis 100.000 EUR
VIII.Risiko: 🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴 <Begründung>
IX. Quellenverzeichnis
Drafting aid — Accessibility information pursuant to Annex 3 No. 1 (framework)
Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit unserer Dienstleistung
1. Allgemeine Beschreibung
<Beschreibung der Dienstleistung in einfacher, barrierefrei
zugänglicher Form>
2. Durchführung der Dienstleistung
<Erläuterung des Ablaufs: Suche, Auswahl, Registrierung,
Authentifizierung, Zahlung, Support>
3. Erfüllung der Barrierefreiheitsanforderungen
Die Dienstleistung erfüllt die Anforderungen der §§ 12 und 19 BFSGV.
Zugrunde gelegt wurde <harmonisierte Norm / technische Spezifikation>
in der Fassung <…>. Abweichungen bestehen bei <…>; hierzu wurde eine
Beurteilung nach § <16 / 17> BFSG am <Datum> vorgenommen.
4. Zuständige Marktüberwachungsbehörde
<Bezeichnung, Anschrift, Kontakt>
5. Rückmeldung und Kontakt
<barrierefreier Kontaktweg>; Schlichtung nach § 34 BFSG iVm
§ 16 BGG möglich.
Risks / typical errors
- Specification of the market surveillance authority is missing. Annex 3 No. 1 letter d is a mandatory component of the accessibility information.
- Accessibility information hidden behind a login or in the ordering process. Section 14(1) No. 2 BFSG requires accessibility for the general public and in an accessible form.
- BFSG declaration confused with the accessibility statement pursuant to BITV 2.0. Both regimes have different mandatory contents and addressees.
- Blanket WCAG statement instead of requirement-related allocation. The presumption effect of Section 4 BFSG applies only insofar as the listed standard covers the specific requirement.
- Exception asserted without assessment, documentation and notification. Sections 16, 17 BFSG require all three steps; Section 17(4) also precludes this where funding is received.
- Five-year cycle under Section 17(3) not scheduled.
- Association application treated as inadmissible. Section 32(2) BFSG permits it without a separate infringement of rights.
- Conciliation application ignored. Pursuant to Section 34(4) BFSG, the proceedings under Section 32 are to be suspended until the conciliation is concluded.
- UWG susceptibility to warning letters presented as settled. Whether Section 14 BFSG is a market conduct rule within the meaning of Section 3a UWG is open and must be stated as open.
- Case law fabricated. There is scarcely any case law on the BFSG; every decision must be evidenced or marked as
[unverifiziert – prüfen].