Hello! I am trying to gather information on any laws or texts on the legal (and not only) protection of fossils and fossil sites worldwide. In Greece, the only fossil-bearing area which is in absolute protection status by law (since 1984) is the Lesvos Petrified Forest. Are there similar laws in other countries? Is fossil-hunting considered to be a legal or an illegal practice? 

I checked with UK Fossils Network - www.ukfossils.co.uk.

And according to them.... at beaches (the most common place people go looking for fossils in UK) the vast majority of sites you can collect freely. However, if they are designated SSSI (sites of special scientific importance) there may be restrictions on whether or not you can collect, and how. There are also some beach sites that have restrictions because of rarity.