CONTROL DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Provided is a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that can favorably achieve compatibility between suppressing deterioration of a catalyst and suppressing progression of rich poisoning thereof when the internal combustion engine has a configuration that performs valve stopping control during a fuel-cut operation. Variable valve operating apparatuses (32, 34) are provided having valve stop mechanisms that can respectively change an operating state of an intake valve (28) and an exhaust valve (30) between a valve operating state and a closed-valve stopped state. When an integrated fuel injection amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value ² when executing a fuel-cut operation, it is determined that rich poisoning of an upstream catalyst (36) is in a progressed state. In that case, valve stopping control of the intake and exhaust valves (28, 30) is prohibited to thereby supply oxygen to the upstream catalyst (36).