products must last for as long as a reasonable consumer would expect them to last (for example, 10 years for a large appliance like a fridge),

I never heard about anything like this in the EU. If my fridge or washing machine breaks after 2 years and 1 week I have no legal claim towards the manufacturer.

Actually most big electronic retailers try to sell you additional warranty with the product you buy. So you pay extra to extend warranty to 5 years.

I like the Australian aproach better, though.