In an electric power steering apparatus, an output control element (60) controls output of a motor (10) for generating steering assist power according to output command value corresponding to deviation between a target output value (I*) corresponding to detected steering torque (tau) and actual output value of the motor (10) so as to eliminate the deviation. A phase control characteristic of a phase control element (30) for a signal corresponding to the detected steering torque (tau) is changed according to the judgment by a steering state judgment element (40) for judging whether the steering (2) is in a return steering state or a feed steering state so that a response of a variation of the target output value (I*) to a variation of the detected steering torque (tau) decreases in the return steering state in comparison with that in the feed steering state. An output control characteristic of the output control element (60) is changed according to the judgment by the steering state judgment element (40) synchronously with the change of the phase control characteristic of the phase control element (30) so that a response of a variation of the output command value to a variation of the deviation between the target output value (I*) and actual output value decreases in the return steering state in comparison with that in the feed steering state.