A control device for gas appliances (1) comprises: a manual-control element (12, 22); a circuit arrangement (25a) that includes control elements, electrical-interconnection elements, detection elements for detecting actuation of the manual-control element (12, 22) and supplying corresponding signals to the control elements; and a supporting structure (21), which can be associated in a stationary way with respect to a gas tap, wherein the supporting structure (21) includes at least one first part of stationary structure (40, 41) that defines a housing for at least part of the circuit arrangement (25a), the first part of structure (40, 41) being in particular designed for being housed within a body of a gas appliance. The control elements are designed for counting the time, and the device includes optical warning elements (43′, LG).