EC Competition Law and Washing Machine Fault Codes?

EC car manufacturers may have had to cough up the service fault codes as
part of the legislation to enable independent garages to service
vehicles without invalidating the initial guarantee/warranty.
Although it may be that these have been released in response to the
harmonisation of vehicle service electronics post-2001.
Or they may have been disclosed by subversive (ex-)employees (surely
not?).
Anyway, they are out there; and I just wondered if you had heard of any
similar legislation/drafts/proposals for other products? To take a
random example: AEG washing machines?
Of course, if you know what 'C4' on the display of an 'AEG oko-lavamat
88730 update' means, I would be even more than eternally grateful, if
that's possible...
Er, it isn't that I am an EC law nerd; AEG ignore my requests for the
codes, referring me to their delightful 'service' cartel