"Ireland's membership of an EU that has weathered the storms of recent years and begun to emerge from economic crisis remains a critical platform for achieving fairness and prosperity for all our people. Similarly, we in Ireland hope that Croatia's membership of the EU will enhance your capacity to address current economic challenges and enhance the prospects for all Croatian people," said Higgins, who was on an official visit to Croatia.

He gave an address on Ireland's EU membership at the Zagreb Law School. When it joined in 1973, Ireland was the poorest member with a GDP that was 60 per cent of the European average, a foreign trade largely with Great Britain, an undeveloped agriculture, lower salaries and women's rights in the public sector, and only four per cent of third level education.

"As to Ireland, that my country has witnessed a transformation over the past 40 years is undeniable," Higgins said, adding that GDP was now above the European average, exports totalled 90 billion euros, of which only 17 per cent to Britain, agriculture was the main feature of economic recovery and 48 per cent of young people had third level education.

"Along with our highly educated workforce, membership of the Union has made Ireland a more attractive place for foreign direct investment because of participation in an internal market of some 500 million people," Higgins said, adding that "structural funding was also a great benefit" and that the Irish lived healthier as well as better and travelled more.

The Irish president, called the Celtic Tiger during the 1997-2005 economic boom, said he was putting forward this data in response to the "apparent lack of enthusiasm" among Croats for EU entry and the fear that they "will be paying EU prices while living on Croatian salaries."

"However, experience tells us that the biggest beneficiaries of the last enlargement of the Union were the 12 new Member States (whose) economic growth (was boosted) by an average of 1.75% per year from 2000 to 2008. Living standards rose; incomes increased; unemployment declined."

In his address, which was also followed by Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, Higgins said Croatian companies would have direct access to over 500 million people, offering potential for more jobs and better living standards, that Croatian citizens would enjoy greater possibilities to study and work in the EU, and that Ireland had allowed full access for Croatian people to its labour market.

Outlining his vision of Europe, Higgins said it must return to the values of its founders - human dignity, democracy, freedom, equality, the rule of law and respect for human and minority rights.

"In the face of a deep economic challenge, we need to hold fast to the idea of a human Europe... We need a Europe that, in responding to economic challenges, is conscious of the social consequences of its actions. We need a Europe that shows solidarity with the most vulnerable among us - that throws real energy and determination behind efforts to create the sustainable growth and jobs so vital to their well-being," said Higgins.

"We need to remember always that we do not exist in the abstract, theoretical world of speculative markets and computer algorithms that determine value and apportion wealth. Rather, we live in the real world of flesh and blood people, with real needs and real contributions to make," the Irish president said.