Catalytic properties of EUROPT-1, a standard 6.3% Pt/SiO 2 catalyst, have been studied in a number of European laboratories affiliated to the Council of Europe's Research Group on Catalysis. The hydrogenation of benzene proceeds with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 66 molecules h −1 Pt −1 s at 323 K and an activation energy of 45 kJ mol −1 p H 2 =0.78 atm (1 atm=101 kPa), p B=0.09 atm, but with increasing temperature the rate passes through a maximum, the temperature of which is dependent on hydrogen pressure. Results are also reported for the exchange and addition of deuterium to benzene, the hydrogenation of toluene, the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and the epimerization of 1,2-dimethylcyclohexane. Values of TOF and Arrhenius parameters are also presented for reactions of linear alkanes (C 2–C 6) with hydrogen. Rates of hydrogenolysis at 573 K p H 2 ca. 0.9 atm, p HC ca. 0.06 atm increase from 0.2 to 9.5 molecules h −1 Pt −1 s with increasing carbon number, while activation energies decrease from 210 to ca. 115 kJ mol −1. The reactions of methylcyclopentane, 2-methylpentane, isomeric heptanes, 3-methylhexane and 4-methylheptane have also been investigated, and product distributions are given: these are as expected for highly dispersed platinum ( d=1.8 nm). The behaviour of EUROPT-1 in these reactions is compared with that of other supported platinum catalysts as described in the literature. Sufficient information is now available on EUROPT-1 for it to be regarded as a reliable reference catalyst.