The lithostratigraphy of the Cretaceous of the CBGA region is characterized by a large variety of lithostratigraphic units within individual member countries. This fact is due to the large variety of facies, especially as a consequence of Alpine orogeny, and the high number of different tectonic zones and thrust units. However, some facies types and units can be correlated over several countries, i.e. grey to whitish pelagic limestones of the Lower Cretaceous, which constitute a widespread facies within the Tethys realm, largely controlled by the paleoceanographic setting and evolutionary events.
Within pelagic limestones of the Lower Cretaceous ("Neocomian"), clastic admixtures may be present, that indicate synsedimentary tectonism related to early phases of Alpine orogeny ("eo-Alpine" phases). Clastic rocks such as huge breccia bodies and sandstones were found in a belt from Austria (Rossfeld Formation, Northern Calcareous Alps) to Slovakia (Nozdrovice Breccia, Manin Unit; Strážovce Formation, Križna Nappe) and Hungary (Lábatlan Sandstone Formation, Transdanubian Range). Most of these formations also contain chrome spinels as heavy minerals, which point to a common geotectonic position and source area type.
Mid-Cretaceous formations from the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians may be also correlated due to a common plate tectonic evolution. The Losenstein Formation (Albian-Lower Cenomanian) of the Eastern Alps marks a distinct phase of compression and thrust wedge basin evolution in the Eastern Alps. Similar deep-water conglomerates and sandstones can be found in the Western Carpathians of Slovakia, the Poruba Formation (Tatricum and Križna Nappe). Again, also the petrography of conglomerates and sandstones point to a common source area and a common geotectonic position at the northern margin of the Austroalpine microplate. Similarities to the Pieniny Klippen Belt may be discussed in the future.
A special case is formed by the Gosau Group and equivalent Gosau-type sediments within the Alps-Carpathians-Balcanides area. The term "Gosauschichten" or Gosau-type sediments was used for a number of (transgressive) Upper Cretaceous successions within an area from the Eastern Alps of Austria up to the Carpathians of Romania. At its type locality in the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria, the Gosau Group is defined by a basal angular unconformity above Permian to Lower Cretaceous rocks, thus marking a new sedimentary cycle starting in Late Turonian times. The Lower Gosau Subgroup (Upper Turonian - Campanian) consists of terrestrial deposits at the base, including bauxites, and passes gradationally into shallow-marine successions with abundant fossils like rudists. The Upper Gosau Subgroup comprises deep-water deposits such as marls and a broad variety of deepwater clastics up to the Eocene. Similar deposits are known from Slovakia (Brezová Group) and Hungary (Transdanubian Range). Largely similar transgressive successions with slightly different stratigraphic ages are also reported from Romania (Apuseni Mountains) and Serbia (e.g., Mokra Gora, Western Serbia). Although geotectonic positions and basins may have been different, this points to a common evolution of the area after a mid-Cretaceous tectonism followed by renewed marine transgressions and a deepening of the depositional areas.