That said they have implemented a directive [1] on how to handle asylum requests which is a great improvement on the previous system of the lowest standards of any relevant country are applied to all of the requests.
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/asy...
I think the issue preventing a common system is state sovereignty. States, like us, really dislike giving up their rights and liberties, such as the right to deny access to a non-citizen. A common system would force states to accept asylum seekers despite their desires and interests, which could damage foreign relations. Not that this should be a factor in deciding whether to grant asylum.
And it's tricky, when you might have asylum requests between EU nations. I understand the complexities. It just seems that, even if merely a vocalization (like the US Senate "resolutions"), it could carry some weight to have numerous EU countries vocalize their support for something like this. Although perhaps I am simply naive.
'like us' ? I don't know who you are referring to when you write 'us' (the HN crowd, maybe) but if you refer to citizens in general it doesn't seem like they care about giving up their rights and liberties that much after all that has been happening progressively since the Patriot Act.