Global sea-level fall during the late Eocene-Oligocene icehouse, in conjunction with the Alpine orogenesis, resulted in the epicontinental Paratethys Sea formed at the northern margin of the Tethys Ocean. Among the Paratethys sub-basins, the foreland Dukla Basin hosted dark dysoxic Menilite Shales. Within these the lenticular body of deep-marine Cergowa Beds was deposited. Due to its marginal position and orogenic activity, the Cergowa depocenter was sensitive to a broad range of influences reflected by: separation from and re-connection with the Tethys Ocean; reactions to global sea-level change; variations in calcareous nannoplankton palaeoecology and fluctuations in water chemistry; changing sediment gravity flow mechanisms; facies progradation and basin tectonics; palaeotransport direction; and changes in the calcite compensation depth. The proximal north-western part of the Cergowa depocenter consisted of two troughs evolving towards the south-east into an unconfined distal area. This is shown by palaeocurrent patterns changing down current from low-dispersion to fanning out distributions. Sedimentation during the succeeding NP23 nannoplankton zone was controlled by glacio-eustatic shallowing, enhanced by tectonic uplift, both resulting in isolation from the Tethys Ocean, forming a brackish environment affected by fluvial supply. Aggrading sand-rich proximal turbidite facies common at this stage include hyperpycnally-generated sustained turbidites that were sourced from shelf-edge delta, as well as hybrid event beds that reflect erosion of morphologically unbalanced slopes modified by fold-thrust tectonics. Nannoplankton of the succeeding NP24 zone documents normal salinity of an open sea that was reconnected with the Tethys Ocean, which is contrary to the global cooling and related eustatic sea-level lowstand during this time. At this stage, deposits of low-density turbidity currents predominate and form a succession prograding towards the south-east. Therefore, the oceanic reconnection was likely controlled by local subsidence, the rate of which exceeded the rate of deposition, especially in the south-east. The reconnection also influenced the calcite compensation depth level and resulted in an increase in coccolithophore productivity, recorded by laminated pelagic limestone interbeds within the youngest fining-upwards part of the Cergowa Beds succession. This fining-upwards sequence of low-density turbidites reflects retrogradation of the arenaceous material within the distributary system and a transition to mudstone-dominated disoxic facies of the Menilite Beds, being the most productive hydrocarbon and helium source rock unit in the Outer Carpathians. These processes and relationships show that due to the marginal position of the synorogenic basin, the Cergowa Beds record environmental sensitivity to extrabasinal and intrabasinal factors, and a broad range of global, regional, and local influences, thus providing insights applicable to research into the evolution of other basins placed in a similar context.