  The present knowledge of QCD confining forces between static test charges is
summarised, with an emphasis on lattice results. Recent developments in
relating QCD potentials to quarkonium properties by use of effective field
theory methods are presented. The validity of non-relativistic QCD and the
adiabatic approximation with respect to heavy quark bound states is explored.
Besides the static potential and relativistic correction terms, the spectra of
glueballs and gluinoballs, hybrid excitations of the QCD flux tube between
fundamental colour sources, potentials between charges in various
representations of the SU(3) gauge group, and multi-particle interactions are
discussed. Some implications for quarkonia systems and quark-gluon hybrid
mesons are drawn.
