Footnotes 1 and 2:

    In most EU member states, consumers may only claim for 
    defects that were present on delivery. There are some 
    exceptions including Czech Republic and Romania. The 
    burden to prove that the defect existed on delivery 
    generally shifts to the consumer after the expiry of a 
    period of 6 months from date of delivery. Examples of 
    countries where the burden of proof does not shift 
    include Czech Republic, Portugal and Romania. Please 
    contact your local European Consumer Centre for details 
    of the position in your country. 

    During the claim period (see above), consumers may 
    claim, among other things, free repair or replacement 
    where a product does not correspond to the contract. 
    Some EU member states, including Finland, Ireland, UK, 
    Netherlands and Sweden, have a claim period that is 
    longer than 2 years from date of delivery. Please 
    contact your local European Consumer Centre for details 
    of the position in your country.

In my country (belgium), it doesn't just cover manufacturing defects but all instances of "non-conformity", meaning discrepancies between the advertised product and the delivered product. This makes sellers responsible for accurate representation of the product they're selling. One gotcha is that you have to be unaware of the nonconformity at the moment of making the purchase. So manufacturing defects are not covered if they are documented to the buyer ahead of the sale.