In the frame of the experimental implementation of a European quality assurance network for external radiotherapy, the methodology in the European Measuring Centre (MC) is presented. Mailed TL dosimeters are used for the check of the beam output and of the beam quality of photon beams. The thermoluminescent material is PTL 717 LiF powder. The readings were first performed on a manual, and then on an automatic reader, with standard deviations of the mean of 0.7% for one dosimeter. Corrections for supralinearity and for the energy dependence of the dosimeter response are applied. An original method has been developed to correct for the variation of the LiF response as a function of time. It is shown that the sensitivity of the powder changes during storage, leading to a kind of 'inverse fading'. The global uncertainty of the TL postal measurement procedure is estimated to be about 1.5% for the 60Co beams and 2% for the x-ray beams. Intercomparisons with the IAEA and with the EORTC have shown an agreement better than 2% for all energies. It can be concluded that the results of the MC are suitable for the requirements of a European quality assurance network.