diff --git a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c72812070a2ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// GRBForestTools
+//
+// Utility to read a TMVA weights file with a BDT into a GRBForest.
+//
+// Author: Jonas Rembser
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+#ifndef RecoEgamma_EgammaTools_GBRForestTools_h
+#define RecoEgamma_EgammaTools_GBRForestTools_h
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+
+#include "CondFormats/EgammaObjects/interface/GBRForest.h"
+#include "FWCore/ParameterSet/interface/FileInPath.h"
+
+#include "TMVA/MethodBDT.h"
+#include "TMVA/Reader.h"
+
+#include "CommonTools/Utils/interface/TMVAZipReader.h"
+
+class GBRForestTools
+{
+  public:
+    GBRForestTools() {}
+
+    static std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> createGBRForest(const std::string &weightFile);
+    static std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> createGBRForest(const edm::FileInPath &weightFile);
+
+    // Overloaded versions which are taking string vectors by reference to strore the variable names in
+    static std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> createGBRForest(const std::string &weightFile, std::vector<std::string> &varNames);
+    static std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> createGBRForest(const edm::FileInPath &weightFile, std::vector<std::string> &varNames);
+
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/plugins/EGRegressionModifierV2.cc b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/plugins/EGRegressionModifierV2.cc
index afa8014e21c50..c0cc834ce04aa 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/plugins/EGRegressionModifierV2.cc
+++ b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/plugins/EGRegressionModifierV2.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include "CondFormats/DataRecord/interface/GBRDWrapperRcd.h"
 #include "CondFormats/EgammaObjects/interface/GBRForestD.h"
 #include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/EcalClusterLocal.h"
-#include "RecoEcal/EgammaCoreTools/interface/EcalTools.h"
 
 #include <vdt/vdtMath.h>
 
@@ -362,7 +361,7 @@ void EGRegressionModifierV2::modifyObject(reco::GsfElectron& ele) const {
   const edm::Ptr<reco::CaloCluster>& theseed = the_sc->seed();
 
   // skip HGCAL for now
-  if( EcalTools::isHGCalDet(theseed->seed().det()) ) return;
+  if( theseed->seed().det() == DetId::Forward ) return;
 
   const int numberOfClusters =  the_sc->clusters().size();
   const bool missing_clusters = !the_sc->clusters()[numberOfClusters-1].isAvailable();
@@ -562,7 +561,7 @@ void EGRegressionModifierV2::modifyObject(reco::Photon& pho) const {
   const edm::Ptr<reco::CaloCluster>& theseed = the_sc->seed();  
 
   // skip HGCAL for now
-  if( EcalTools::isHGCalDet(theseed->seed().det()) ) return;
+  if( theseed->seed().det() == DetId::Forward ) return;
 
   const int numberOfClusters =  the_sc->clusters().size();
   const bool missing_clusters = !the_sc->clusters()[numberOfClusters-1].isAvailable();
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalElectronIDValueMap_cff.py b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalElectronIDValueMap_cff.py
index bb5db38ad3ceb..dd4da071e2d2f 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalElectronIDValueMap_cff.py
+++ b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalElectronIDValueMap_cff.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import FWCore.ParameterSet.Config as cms
-from RecoLocalCalo.HGCalRecProducers.HGCalRecHit_cfi import dEdX
+from RecoLocalCalo.HGCalRecProducers.HGCalRecHit_cfi import dEdX_weights
 
 # cfi from HGCalElectronIDValueMapProducer::fillDescriptions()
 from RecoEgamma.EgammaTools.hgcalElectronIDValueMap_cfi import *
-hgcalElectronIDValueMap.dEdXWeights = dEdX.weights
+hgcalElectronIDValueMap.dEdXWeights = dEdX_weights
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalPhotonIDValueMap_cff.py b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalPhotonIDValueMap_cff.py
index f3c18e35f0278..dbefc5da6757d 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalPhotonIDValueMap_cff.py
+++ b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/python/hgcalPhotonIDValueMap_cff.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import FWCore.ParameterSet.Config as cms
-from RecoLocalCalo.HGCalRecProducers.HGCalRecHit_cfi import dEdX
+from RecoLocalCalo.HGCalRecProducers.HGCalRecHit_cfi import dEdX_weights
 
 # cfi from HGCalPhotonIDValueMapProducer::fillDescriptions()
 from RecoEgamma.EgammaTools.hgcalPhotonIDValueMap_cfi import *
-hgcalPhotonIDValueMap.dEdXWeights = dEdX.weights
+hgcalPhotonIDValueMap.dEdXWeights = dEdX_weights
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/EcalRegressionData.cc b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/EcalRegressionData.cc
index b4c6dd339e7a0..17f2b69a81cf0 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/EcalRegressionData.cc
+++ b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/EcalRegressionData.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/EcalRegressionData.h"
 
-#include "RecoEcal/EgammaCoreTools/interface/EcalTools.h"
 #include "RecoEcal/EgammaCoreTools/interface/EcalClusterTools.h"
 #include "DataFormats/Math/interface/deltaR.h"
 #include "Geometry/CaloTopology/interface/CaloTopology.h"
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ void EcalRegressionData::fill(const reco::SuperCluster& superClus,
   isEB_ = ( seedid.subdetId()==EcalBarrel );
   
   // skip HGCal
-  if( EcalTools::isHGCalDet(seedid.det()) ) return;
+  if( seedid.det() == DetId::Forward ) return;
   
   const EcalRecHitCollection* recHits = isEB_ ? ebRecHits : eeRecHits;
 
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/GBRForestTools.cc b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/GBRForestTools.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..cdcd42646924a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/GBRForestTools.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+#include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
+
+namespace {
+
+  // Will return position of n-th occurence of a char in a string.
+  int strpos(const std::string &haystack, char needle, unsigned int nth)
+  {
+    int found = 0;
+    for (unsigned int i=0 ; i<nth ; ++i) {
+        std::size_t pos = haystack.find(needle, found);
+        if (pos == std::string::npos) return -1;
+        else found = pos+1;
+    }
+    return found;
+  }
+
+  // To get the substring between the n1th and n2th quotation mark in a string
+  std::string get_quoted_substring(const std::string &str, int n1, int n2)
+  {
+      int pos = strpos(str, '"', n1);
+      int count = strpos(str, '"', n2) - pos;
+      return str.substr(pos, count - 1);
+  }
+
+};
+
+std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(const std::string &weightFile,
+                                                                 std::vector<std::string> &varNames){
+  edm::FileInPath weightFileEdm(weightFile);
+  return GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(weightFileEdm, varNames);
+}
+
+// Creates a pointer to new GBRForest corresponding to a TMVA weights file
+std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(const edm::FileInPath &weightFile,
+                                                                 std::vector<std::string> &varNames){
+
+  std::string method;
+
+  unsigned int NVar = 0;
+  unsigned int NSpec = 0;
+
+  std::vector<float> dumbVars;
+  std::vector<float> dumbSpecs;
+
+  varNames.clear();
+  std::vector<std::string> specNames;
+
+  std::string line;
+  std::ifstream f;
+  std::string tmpstr;
+
+  bool gzipped = false;
+
+  //
+  // Set up the input buffers, for gzipped or raw xml file
+  //
+  if (reco::details::hasEnding(weightFile.fullPath(), ".xml")) {
+      f.open(weightFile.fullPath());
+      tmpstr = "";
+  } else if (reco::details::hasEnding(weightFile.fullPath(), ".gz") || reco::details::hasEnding(weightFile.fullPath(), ".gzip")) {
+      gzipped = true;
+      char *buffer = reco::details::readGzipFile(weightFile.fullPath());
+      tmpstr = std::string(buffer);
+      free(buffer);
+  }
+  std::stringstream is(tmpstr);
+
+  bool isend;
+
+  while(true) {
+
+      if (gzipped) isend = !std::getline(is, line);
+      else isend = !std::getline(f, line);
+
+      if (isend) break;
+
+      // Terminate reading of weights file
+      if (line.find("<Weights ") != std::string::npos) break;
+
+      // Method name
+      else if (line.find("<MethodSetup Method=") != std::string::npos) {
+          method = get_quoted_substring(line, 1, 2);
+      }
+
+      // Number of variables
+      else if (line.find("<Variables NVar=") != std::string::npos) {
+          NVar = std::atoi(get_quoted_substring(line, 1, 2).c_str());
+      }
+
+      // Number of spectators
+      else if (line.find("<Spectators NSpec=") != std::string::npos) {
+          NSpec = std::atoi(get_quoted_substring(line, 1, 2).c_str());
+      }
+
+      // If variable
+      else if (line.find("<Variable ") != std::string::npos) {
+          unsigned int pos = line.find("Expression=");
+          varNames.push_back(get_quoted_substring(line.substr(pos, line.length() - pos), 1, 2));
+          dumbVars.push_back(0);
+      }
+
+      // If spectator
+      else if (line.find("Spectator ") != std::string::npos) {
+          unsigned int pos = line.find("Expression=");
+          specNames.push_back(get_quoted_substring(line.substr(pos, line.length() - pos), 1, 2));
+          dumbSpecs.push_back(0);
+      }
+  }
+
+  //
+  // Create the reader
+  //
+  TMVA::Reader* mvaReader = new TMVA::Reader("!Color:Silent:!Error");
+
+  //
+  // Configure all variables and spectators. Note: the order and names
+  // must match what is found in the xml weights file!
+  //
+  for(size_t i = 0; i < NVar; ++i){
+      mvaReader->AddVariable(varNames[i], &dumbVars[i]);
+  }
+
+  for(size_t i = 0; i < NSpec; ++i){
+      mvaReader->AddSpectator(specNames[i], &dumbSpecs[i]);
+  }
+
+  //
+  // Book the method and set up the weights file
+  //
+
+  reco::details::loadTMVAWeights(mvaReader, method, weightFile.fullPath());
+
+  TMVA::MethodBDT* bdt = dynamic_cast<TMVA::MethodBDT*>( mvaReader->FindMVA(method) );
+  std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> gbrForest = std::make_unique<const GBRForest>(GBRForest(bdt));
+  delete mvaReader;
+
+  return gbrForest;
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(const std::string &weightFile){
+  std::vector<std::string> varNames;
+  return GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(weightFile, varNames);
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<const GBRForest> GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(const edm::FileInPath &weightFile){
+    std::vector<std::string> varNames;
+    return GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(weightFile, varNames);
+}
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/SCEnergyCorrectorSemiParm.cc b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/SCEnergyCorrectorSemiParm.cc
index ecec2d51f3df9..aaf24dcb139ce 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/SCEnergyCorrectorSemiParm.cc
+++ b/RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/src/SCEnergyCorrectorSemiParm.cc
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #include "RecoEcal/EgammaCoreTools/interface/EcalClusterTools.h"
 #include "DataFormats/EcalDetId/interface/EcalSubdetector.h"
 #include "DataFormats/VertexReco/interface/Vertex.h"
-#include "RecoEcal/EgammaCoreTools/interface/EcalTools.h"
 
 #include "FWCore/Utilities/interface/isFinite.h"
 #include "DataFormats/Math/interface/deltaPhi.h"
@@ -104,7 +103,7 @@ std::pair<double, double> SCEnergyCorrectorSemiParm::getCorrections(const reco::
   p.second=-1;
 
   // protect against HGCal, don't mod the object
-  if( EcalTools::isHGCalDet(sc.seed()->seed().det()) ) return p;
+  if( sc.seed()->seed().det() == DetId::Forward ) return p;
 
   const reco::CaloCluster &seedCluster = *(sc.seed());
   const bool iseb = seedCluster.hitsAndFractions()[0].first.subdetId() == EcalBarrel;
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/BuildFile.xml b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/BuildFile.xml
index 289dfc278b9cb..f7589cf2db2d7 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/BuildFile.xml
+++ b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/BuildFile.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 <use   name="CondFormats/EgammaObjects"/>
 <use   name="RecoEcal/EgammaCoreTools"/>
 <use   name="DataFormats/TrackReco"/>
-<use   name="CommonTools/MVAUtils"/>
 <use   name="MagneticField/Records"/>
 <use   name="MagneticField/Engine"/>
 <use   name="RecoEgamma/EgammaTools"/>
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/interface/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.h b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/interface/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.h
index 43a845a3ee0b1..bd0c598328cae 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/interface/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.h
+++ b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/interface/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "DataFormats/PatCandidates/interface/Electron.h"
 #include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/AnyMVAEstimatorRun2Base.h"
-#include "CommonTools/MVAUtils/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
+#include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
 #include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/MVAVariableManager.h"
 #include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/ThreadSafeStringCut.h"
 
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimator.cc b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimator.cc
index 2cfaafb7ef422..2c5fbef1ca6e1 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimator.cc
+++ b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimator.cc
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include "DataFormats/TrackReco/interface/TrackFwd.h"
 #include "DataFormats/GsfTrackReco/interface/GsfTrack.h"
 #include "DataFormats/GsfTrackReco/interface/GsfTrackFwd.h"
-#include "CommonTools/MVAUtils/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
+#include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
 
 ElectronMVAEstimator::ElectronMVAEstimator():
   cfg_{}
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ ElectronMVAEstimator::ElectronMVAEstimator(const std::string& fileName):
   // Taken from Daniele (his mail from the 30/11)
   //  tmvaReader.BookMVA("BDTSimpleCat","../Training/weights_Root527b_3Depth_DanVarConvRej_2PtBins_10Pt_800TPrune5_Min100Events_NoBjets_half/TMVA_BDTSimpleCat.weights.xm");
   // training of the 7/12 with Nvtx added
-  gbr_.push_back( createGBRForest(fileName) );
+  gbr_.push_back( GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(fileName) );
 }
 
 ElectronMVAEstimator::ElectronMVAEstimator(const Configuration & cfg):cfg_(cfg)
 {
   for(const auto& weightsfile : cfg_.vweightsfiles) {
-    gbr_.push_back( createGBRForest(weightsfile) );
+    gbr_.push_back( GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(weightsfile) );
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.cc b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.cc
index 82a357d7254ff..2acd48b8efe22 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.cc
+++ b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2.cc
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ void ElectronMVAEstimatorRun2::init(const std::vector<std::string> &weightFileNa
     // when the vector clear() is called in the destructor
 
     std::vector<std::string> variableNamesInCategory;
-    gbrForests_.push_back(createGBRForest(weightFileNames[i], variableNamesInCategory));
+    gbrForests_.push_back(GBRForestTools::createGBRForest(weightFileNames[i], variableNamesInCategory));
 
     nVariables_.push_back(variableNamesInCategory.size());
 
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/SoftElectronMVAEstimator.cc b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/SoftElectronMVAEstimator.cc
index 935b4b0048392..144f15dcd07b0 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/SoftElectronMVAEstimator.cc
+++ b/RecoEgamma/ElectronIdentification/src/SoftElectronMVAEstimator.cc
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include "DataFormats/TrackReco/interface/TrackFwd.h"
 #include "DataFormats/GsfTrackReco/interface/GsfTrack.h"
 #include "DataFormats/GsfTrackReco/interface/GsfTrackFwd.h"
-#include "CommonTools/MVAUtils/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
+#include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
 
 SoftElectronMVAEstimator::SoftElectronMVAEstimator(const Configuration & cfg):cfg_(cfg)
 {
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ SoftElectronMVAEstimator::SoftElectronMVAEstimator(const Configuration & cfg):cf
   for(auto& weightsfile : cfg_.vweightsfiles) {
     // Taken from Daniele (his mail from the 30/11)    
     // training of the 7/12 with Nvtx added
-    gbr_.push_back(createGBRForest( weightsfile ));
+    gbr_.push_back(GBRForestTools::createGBRForest( weightsfile ));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/BuildFile.xml b/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/BuildFile.xml
index 5044557c4eb77..dc26d96bbc9f7 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/BuildFile.xml
+++ b/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/BuildFile.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 <use   name="Geometry/CaloGeometry"/>
 <use   name="PhysicsTools/SelectorUtils"/>
 <use   name="CommonTools/UtilAlgos"/>
-<use   name="CommonTools/MVAUtils"/>
 <use   name="CondFormats/DataRecord"/>
 <library   name="RecoEgammaPhotonIdentificationPlugins" file="*.cc">
   <use   name="RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification"/>
diff --git a/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/PhotonMVAEstimator.cc b/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/PhotonMVAEstimator.cc
index 47e24a865c756..27b94cbd59275 100644
--- a/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/PhotonMVAEstimator.cc
+++ b/RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/plugins/PhotonMVAEstimator.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "RecoEgamma/PhotonIdentification/interface/PhotonMVAEstimator.h"
 #include "FWCore/MessageLogger/interface/MessageLogger.h"
-#include "CommonTools/MVAUtils/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
+#include "RecoEgamma/EgammaTools/interface/GBRForestTools.h"
 
 PhotonMVAEstimator::PhotonMVAEstimator(const edm::ParameterSet& conf)
   : AnyMVAEstimatorRun2Base(conf)