The present invention relates to a catalyst composition for the oxychlorination of ethylene, comprising a mixture of metal salts on a support, where said metal salts are applied to the support in such ratios that the catalyst composition comprises a) from 3 to 12% by weight of copper as copper salt, b) from 0 to 3% by weight of an alkaline earth metal as alkaline earth metal salt, c) from 0 to 3% by weight of an alkaline metal as alkaline metal salt, d) from 0.001 to 0.1% by weight, preferably from 0.005 to 0.05% by weight, of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum, and/or from 0.0001 to 0.1% by weight, preferably from 0.001 to 0.05% by weight, of gold, as corresponding metal salt or tetrachloroauric acid, where all percentages by weight are based on the total weight of the catalyst including support material.The invention further provides a process for preparing 1,2-dichloroethane by oxychlorination of ethylene in the presence of the above catalyst composition as catalyst.