CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC-The OECS Secretariat and the European Union have entered into arrangement to among other things boost Private Sector competitiveness in the OECS Economic Union. The Castries based Secretariat and the European Delegation in Barbados have signed a funding Protocol to provide financial support to OECS Member States under the aegis of the 10th European Development Fund. OECS Director General Dr. Len Ishmael said the programme of support entitled “Economic Integration and Trade of the OECS Region”, which is based on the OECS development and integration strategy, seeks to support the deepening of OECS integration through the establishment of the OECS Economic Union, which commenced on December 10th 2012.