Critical and strategic raw materials

Since July 2026, the Netherlands now has a national list of 17 critical raw materials. The list has been compiled based on analyses conducted by the NMO, and helps the Netherlands to set more focused priorities within the broader European list. The 17 critical raw materials on the national list are:

• Bismuth
• Cobalt
• Coking coals
• Fluorite
• Gallium
• Germanium
• Lithium
• Magnesium
• Natural graphite
• Niobium
• Phosphorus
• Platinum group metals
• Rare earth elements
• Scandium
• Silicon
• Tungsten
• Vanadium

The European Commission has currently classified 34 metals and minerals as critical raw materials. In compiling this list, the European Commission looks at two criteria: the economic value that each individual raw material represents in the value chains for the European economy, and the supply risks for each individual raw material. The European Commission published its first list of critical raw materials (CRMs) in 2011. This list was last updated in 2023, when the term strategic raw materials (SRMs) was introduced. These raw materials are of great importance to, amongst other things, the energy transition, digital transformation, space and defence. Furthermore, demand for these raw materials is expected to grow exponentially.

The NMO is developing material files for the raw materials listed below. The following material files are currently available: Antimony, Bismuth, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Rare Earth Elements, Tungsten and Vanadium. New files will be added regularly in the coming period.

See the overview of European critical and strategic raw materials below.

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