This article examines the development of European Union (EU) asylum policy with particular reference to the implications of intergovernmental Conventions, the provisions of the Maastricht Treaty, and the use by member states of Resolutions and Recommendations. It is argued that there are many problems with this emerging policy from the point of view of asylum-seekers, most notably the undemocratic way in which policy is formulated and the lack of minimum common standards across the EU.