What makes a policy idea’s time come? A similar question motivated this research: What prompted data protection reform in the EU? But just as Kingdon concluded in the elaboration of his policy analysis framework, this would involve a larger exploration. Using the Multiple Strems Framework (MSF) as a guide for the policy reconstruction pursued in this thesis, I sought not only to identify the constellation that allowed this reform to be adopted, but also the situations framed as policy problems that attracted the attention of decision-makers, the alternatives and solutions generated in the preparatory work that preceded the reform, and the actors participating in the process, as well as their interests and motivations. At the same time, I identified those actors who were willing to use their resources to advance reform.