An electrically semiconductive mixture based on ethylene homopolymers and/or copolymers, containing, based in each case on the mixture, from 10 to 50% by weight of an electrically conductive pigment and from 0.01 to 5% by weight of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of the carboxylic acids of the formula I ##STR3## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently of one another are each hydrogen, hydroxyl or carboxyl and x, y and z independently of one another are each 0 or an integer of from 1 to 3, and the anhydrides of these carboxylic acids I.