Abstract This third report on salient examples for the practical problems of European Law that our European Law Department of the Legal Service of the Austrian Foreign Ministry (“Office of the Legal Adviser", “Völkerrechtsbüro") was mainly busy with, in this case during the year 2013, will first give an overview of recent initiatives to strengthen the Rule of Law at the global and regional levels, and in particular within the European Union. Under the auspices of the Austrian Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from November 2013 until May 2014, our Ministry had the pleasure to co-organise with the Department of European Law and Public International Law of the University of Innsbruck a scientific conference with the title “Strengthening the Rule of Law in Europe" which took place at Innsbruck on 3 and 4 April 2014. The contribution under section I. below is a preview