5.2.1.3. Promotion of weighted restraints in CoE arms and security fairs The Omega Research Foundation has uncovered a range of weighted restraints intended for use by law enforcement officials, being promoted by non-CoE companies at arms and security fairs and exhibitions held within the CoE region. The Chinese company China Garments Co. Ltd physically displayed weighted leg irons on their marketing stall at the Milipol 2015 security exhibition held in Paris, France, in November 2015. In addition to concerns about the marketing and promotion of inherently inappropriate goods, it was unclear how China Garments Co. Ltd managed to display such items at Milipol 2015 when their import into the EU is expressly prohibited under EC Regulation 1236/2005. On 8 April 2016, in response to an information request from the Omega Research Foundation and Amnesty International on these matters, China Garments Co. Ltd stated that: “all our products ha[ve] been reported to the [French] authorities in detail…4 months before the exhibition. And we have all the legal documents for the customer clearance to France.” Furthermore, the company stated that: “in all the procedures, [none of] the authorities …mentioned anything that is illegal in our products.”206 Photograph of weighted leg irons displayed at China Garments Co. Ltd stall, Milipol 2015 © Robin Ballantyne/Omega Research Foundation Similar devices were promoted by Chinese companies at subsequent arms and security exhibitions held in CoE member States. For example during the Eurosatory 2016 security exhibition held in Paris, France, from 13-17 June 2016, China XinXing Import & Export Corp. promoted both a leg-fetter and a handcuff and leg-fetter combination; whilst Jiangsu Anhua Police Equipment Manufacturing Company Ltd and Xinxing Jihua International Trading Co., Ltd both promoted leg-fetter and handcuff combinations in their product catalogues. In response to concerns about the failure of existing controls to effectively regulate the trade in security equipment in the EU region, Regulation (EU) 2016/2134 of the European Parliament and of the Council was introduced in 23 November 2016 and came into force on 16 December 2016. It is directly legally binding on all EU Member States and includes provisions banning the marketing of prohibited Annex II goods (including thumb-cuffs, fixed restraints and weighted leg restraints) at trade fairs and banning the purchasing of advertising space or advertising time for promotion of such products. However, the promotion of such devices has continued. At Milipol 2017, Paris, France, in November 2017, a number of Chinese companies promoted inherently inappropriate weighted leg restraints in their product catalogues. Anhui 206 Correspondence to Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation from a representative of China Garments Co. Ltd, 8 April 2016 42