In recent years, material development for ITER blanket components has been fervent; yet, a lack of materials data has been identified by the ITER International Organization (IO) and other ITER parties. Therefore, extensive work on assessment of materials data and qualification of the materials with all the relevant interfaces (joints) has been performed to ensure that requirements are fulfilled for the ITER operational conditions with acceptable margins for the foreseen lifetime of the ITER project. This paper will provide an overview of this qualification program with examples of recent results within the scope of the European contribution of blanket components to ITER. Ongoing actions to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the three main materials, beryllium, CuCrZr and stainless steel grade 316L(N)-IG, and their joints included in the blankets are discussed.