Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for purifying NOx-containing exhaust gases formed in an internal combustion engine. In particular, the invention is directed at the purification of exhaust gases from an engine which produces a lean-burn exhaust gas, e.g. a diesel engine or a spark-ignition engine operated under lean conditions. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an appropriately equipped exhaust gas purification apparatus. The apparatus proposes a sequence of different catalysts for purifying primary axhaust gas of lean-burn engines, in which an oxidatively active particle filter (1) is followed by an oxidation catalyst (2) and this is in turn followed by an SCR catalyst, (3c) with the latter being arranged downstream of an addition of reducing agent (3a) located downstream of the oxidation catalyst (2).