EU court told to dismiss Polish, Hungarian cash-for-democracy challenge

FILE PHOTO: The towers of the European Court of Justice are seen in Luxembourg, January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's top court should dismiss a challenge by Poland and Hungary to a new tool aimed at cutting cash for member states which break the bloc's democratic rules, an initial legal opinion said on Thursday.

While the advocate general's opinion is not binding, the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) usually follows it when making a final ruling, which is expected early in 2022.