ABSTRACT. The contribution of the Carlsberg Meridian Catalogue La PalmaNumber 4 to the determination of the optical reference frame is discussed. This catalogue of almost 51000 stars provides one of the most accurate optical reference frames at the present epoch, having a density of 1 star per square degree, and an average accuracy of 0"l2 in position and 0"003 per year in proper motion for stars with V<9. The catalogue also contains positions of reference stars with V>11 in the fields of benchmark extragalactic radio sources which can be used in linking the optical reference frame defined by the FK5 to the extragalactic frame.