Environmental Responsibility of Multinational Companies in the Oil Industry with Emphasis on the "Polluter Pays" Principle

Increasing the use of marine areas and international waterways in the extraction, production and transportation of oil has led to serious concerns regarding the application of preventive legalenvironmental mechanisms to preserve and maintain the marine environment. In this regard, so far, the international responsibility regarding the environment and possible damage to it has only been towards the commitment of the governments, and this is while the exploitation of the sea and its environment is actually done by multinational companies. Based on this, in this research, which is organized in a descriptive-analytical method, the main question is whether it is possible to transfer responsibility from governments to multinational companies. And how can the "polluter pays" principle help to strengthen the environmental responsibility of multinational companies in the oil industry? In this regard, it was found that the governments have been able to block the financial accounts of companies accused of marine environmental damage through the mechanisms available in the National Treasury Department, and as a result, they have made it possible to apply the principle of paying the polluter in compensation and provide environmental protection in the oil industry.