Hi LH2
The XML initiative is a thing called AIXM (Aeronautical Information Exchange Model) being developed by Eurocontrol with support from the FAA. It's been under development for some time and a quick Google will turn up more information.
ANSP certification is something out of EASA and is to my mind something of a joke. The CAA have taken a light touch with it and seem more concerned with the financial stability of the ANSP than anything else (a similar approach to their major work in consumer protection for air travellers). It's not difficult to justify a need for standards on the part of the data handler. To give you an analogy, it's perfectly possible to turn a perfectly good and wholesome food product into something toxic by poor handling. The main focus is however more on the provision of Air Traffic Services than NOTAM. It's not really an issue at the moment for people like drauk but we need to keep an eye on it.
What's caused the problem for drauk and others is their decision to develop something based on PIB (Pre-Flight Information Bulletins) rather than the raw data. The result is that when the format of the PIB and the method of getting it changes (as it has) you're faced with a major re-write of your own software. The raw data is to a standard ICAO format which has not changed.
The decision has been forced on them by the fact that provision of PIB is free while a raw data feed has to be paid for. An exception is Notamplot, which gets a free feed from Avbrief who pay for a raw data feed. Other commercial briefing services and the airlines also use a raw data feed, which they pay for. This inhibits the provision of a free data feed. Those who pay for it would understandably be upset if someone else got it for free. A further complication is that the data is in theory the property of the originator.
NATS have been helping drauk explore the possibility of getting a feed of the raw data and Eurocontrol have come up with what I think is a pretty reasonable cost. The trouble is that we can't expect someone like drauk to put his hand into his own pocket to pay for it, no matter how reasonable the cost might be.
I've been in correspondence with Eurocontrol to see if we can come up with a framework for something that would allow NATS to provide a raw data feed for UK and near european FIR's to "no charge" service providers in a way that would avoid conflict with commercial interests. You'll appreciate that this won't be easy. The response is encouraging but it's certainly not something that can be done overnight. First we need to get Eurocontrol, who hold the database, to agree in principle, then we need to get the CAA to agree to fund NATS so they can commission EAD to write the software.
I hope this explanation of AOPA UK's current activity in this area is helpful.
Mike