Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 5.djvu/376

 104 STAT. 3698 PUBLIC LAW 101-624—NOV. 28, 1990 (5) the product standards and testing policies of the European Community are consequently unfair and discriminatory, and have great potential to reduce significantly exports from the United States of agricultural commodities and products thereof. (b) STATEMENTS OF POLICY. — (1) The Congress denounces the European Community's nontransparent process of setting standards and requirements for agricultural commodities and products thereof, and the Congress further denounces the refusal by the European Community to guarantee that United States exporters of such commodities and products will be able to show compliance with European Community standards sind requirements by using United States laboratories or through self-certification. (2) The Congress deplores the adverse consequences of the standards and testing policies of the European Community on the bilateral agricultural trade relationship between the United States and the European Community. (3) The Congress urges the President to use all available means to bring about significant and far-reaching changes in the standards and testing policies of the European Community in order to protect and maintain United States access to the European Community market for agricultural commodities and products thereof. 7 USC 5694 note. gEC. 1556. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND EVALUATION OF FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE OFFICERS. (a) ASSESSMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE. —The Foreign Agricultural Service shall revise its evaluation reports for its Foreign Service officers so as to require in a separate entry an assessment of the officer's effectiveness in using, in his or her work, a foreign Isinguage or foreign languages tested at the General Professional Speaking Proficiency level or above, in CEises where the supervisor is capable of making such an assessment. 0)) PRECEDENCE IN PROMOTION.—The Director of Personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service shall instruct promotion panels to take account of language ability and, all criteria for promotion otherwise being equal, to give precedence in promotions to officers who have achieved at legist the General Professional Speaking Proficiency level in 1 or more foreign languages over officers who lack that level of proficiency. (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— Within 6 months after the effective date of this title, the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Affsdrs, the Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, which— (1) details the extent to which, in the 3 years before the effective date of this title. Foreign Service officers of the Foreign Agricultural Service achieved General Professional Speaking Proficiency level in a primary foreign language of the host countries in which they served before arriving in such countries or within 1 year after such arrival; and (2) makes specific, new proposals to the Congress on how to ensure that at least 75 percent of Foreign Service officers of the Foreign Agricultural Service have achieved General Professional Spe^ng Proficiency level in a primary foreign language

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