Degert said he had worked with Racan for two years and would remember him as a man always willing to listen to different opinions.
Degert was briefing the press about the programme of Europe Week, whereby Croatia will mark the most significant date in the history of united Europe, Europe Day on May 9.
Between May 2 and 12, the EC Delegation and partner institutions will hold a series of cultural, entertainment and briefing events in Zagreb, Sisak, Osijek, Vukovar, Slavonski Brod, Split, Zadar, Rijeka, Pula and Dubrovnik.
EC Delegation staff and ambassadors of EU countries will tour those cities aboard the EU Bus, informing Croatian citizens about the European Union and listening to their opinions and suggestions regarding Croatia's EU integration.
We are faced with the big challenge of informing Croatian citizens about the EU in the right way and eliminating some fears that exist among the public, said Degert.
Although Europe Day is observed throughout the EU, Croatia is one of the few accession countries that has been observing it for several years.