Sept 18 (Reuters) - Mars, the maker of M&M's and

Skittles, said on Thursday it will invest 1 billion euros ($1.18

billion) in its European Union operations by the end of 2026 to

boost manufacturing, sustainability and innovation pipeline in

the region.

The new investment builds on more than 1.5 billion euros

that the candy maker has already poured into EU manufacturing

over the past five years. Mars operates 24 factories across 10

EU countries, employing 25,000 people.

Last year, Mars announced a $36 billion deal to acquire

Pringles maker Kellanova ( K ). The deal has cleared U.S.

antitrust review but remains under scrutiny in the European

Union.

($1 = 0.8482 euros)