An EU court has rejected an appeal by the heirs of Jean-Marie Le Pen against a European Parliament decision seeking the repayment of around €300,000 that the late leader of France's far right had wrongly declared as expenses.

Last year, the EU Parliament accused Le Pen of wrongfully invoicing money he spent on personal matters as parliamentary expenses, AFP reported.

A report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) found that between 2009 and 2018, Le Pen had wrongfully invoiced items including umbrellas, kitchen scales, table clocks, smart watches, virtual reality glasses, and 129 bottles of wine.

Le Pen appealed, and after his death earlier this year, the case was taken over by his daughter Marine, who heads the French National Rally party, and her siblings.

"The General Court dismisses the action brought by Le Pen and his heirs," the court said in a statement.

"The procedure leading to the Parliament's decision to recover the funds and issue a debit note does not violate the principles of legal certainty and the protection of legitimate expectations," it added.

The decision may be appealed.

The money in question was incorrectly reported by Le Pen under the so-called "budget item 400," which is primarily intended to cover the costs of European MPs' office rent and equipment.

The fiery far-right politician, who had been pursuing the French political elite for decades, died in January at the age of 96. | BGNES