PURPOSE: To carry out the control of exhaust recirculation without affection by aging effect, by compensating an output of an oxygen sensor used in feed-back control of an exhaust gas volume in accordance with an output of the oxygen sensor which is obtained in an operation stopping range under EGR control in a cold condition of an engine, during EGR operation.

CONSTITUTION: After an ignition switch is turned on, when a specified time elapses, an intake air volume per one revolution is calculated from outputs from a rotational speed sensor 10 and an air flow meter 5, and whether the temperature of cooling water detected by a cooling water temperature sensor 10 is higher than a specified value or not is determined. If it is less than a specified value, an EGR control valve 8 is closed so as to stop the EGR operation. An output Vin from an oxygen sensor 6 is received, and a difference Kin between the output and a specified output V indicating the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere is obtained. This difference Kin is stored and updated for every operation range. If the temperature of cooling water exceeds the specified value, the output Vin from the oxygen sensor is compensated in accordance with a difference Kin in the present operation range, as a compensating value, and accordingly, the EGR control valve 8 is feed-back controlled in accordance with thus compensated output Min.