Herein is disclosed an oxygen barrier composition comprising an oxygen barrier polymer and an oxygen scavenging polymer. Preferably, the oxygen barrier polymer is selected from polymers or copolymers of vinyl alcohol, polyesters, polymers or copolymers of vinylidene dichloride, polymers or copolymers of epoxies, polysulfones, polymers or copolymers of acrylonitrile, polymers or copolymers of isocyanates, or polyamides other than MXD6; and the oxygen scavenging polymer either comprises an ethylenic backbone and a cyclic olefinic pendant group of structure I, or a polyester group of structure II or structure III: ##STR00001## wherein q.sub.1, q.sub.2, q.sub.3, q.sub.4, and r are independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; m is --(CH.sub.2).sub.n--, wherein n is an integer from 0 to 4, inclusive; X is null or a linking group; and, when r is hydrogen, at least one of q.sub.1, q.sub.2, q.sub.3, and q.sub.4 is also hydrogen. The oxygen barrier composition can be formed into an oxygen barrier layer of a packaging article. Such layers and articles, and methods for making same, are also disclosed.