Within the ERA-NET scheme of the European Commission, ASPERA started in July 2006. After a first successful three-year period, ASPERA, as ASPERA 2,  is now continuing for another three-year programme towards the development of a sustainable body for astroparticle physics in Europe. ASPERA 2 is funded by the European Commission through the 7th Framework Programme.

ASPERA has come about through the existence of ApPEC, an interest grouping of national funding agencies, which was founded in 2001 when six European scientific agencies took the initiative to coordinate and encourage Astroparticle Physics in Europe.